St. Johns is decorated and ready for the holidays, but this year one thing is missing. A neighborhood motel with more than 70 years of history burned down in June, leaving a gap in emergency housing for people experiencing homelessness.
- The St. Johns Motel burned down in June, displacing eight homeless families who used it as temporary housing
- No emergency housing is currently available in St. Johns, leaving a gap in services for people experiencing homelessness
- The need for housing assistance has doubled, with Beacon of Hope serving 100% more people from 2024 to 2025
WATCH: St. Johns still faces housing need months after motel fire
For many, the St. Johns Motel was more than a place to stay, it was a safety net for neighbors in need.
"The St. Johns Motel was very gracious in providing rooms for homeless people. They had 12 rooms at the hotel, and at the time of the fire, eight of them were occupied by homeless families," said Karen Leif, resource navigator at Beacon of Hope Family Care Center. "It was just so nice to have something here locally where people were close to their support systems."
Leif tells me all eight families displaced by the fire have since found housing, thanks to organizations like Housing Services Mid Michigan, where Kaiysha Johnson serves as a housing program manager.
"Homelessness, it doesn't discriminate. It literally can be your sister, it can be your neighbor, it could be your friend," Johnson said.
Right now, there is no emergency housing available in St. Johns. But Johnson and Leif say work is happening behind the scenes on long-term solutions and resources they hope to share next year. They emphasize the need is growing.
"2024 to 2025, the number of people served by Beacon of Hope increased by 100%," Leif said.
Despite the challenges, neighbors say St. Johns remains a community willing to step up and help one another.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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