ST. JOHNS, Mich. — I spoke with the mayor of St. Johns, who told me about the increasing issue of people without homes having to live in their cars. I wanted to learn more about the situation and find any resources available.
- St. Johns is experiencing a rise in homelessness that often goes unnoticed in the community.
- According to their 2024 report, 154 households in Clinton County received services from Housing Services Mid Michigan. That’s up from the 136 assisted in 2019.
- City officials are exploring solutions, including tax incentives for developers and a potential homeless shelter.
WATCH: St. Johns community works to address hidden homelessness issue as numbers rise dramatically
St. Johns features a quaint downtown and tight-knit community, but it's also home to an increasing, yet largely invisible problem.
"We don't visually see homelessness here. And I think that it kind of lends itself to maybe, 'If I don't see it, I don't believe it.' But it is here, it's on the increase," said Cyndi Thelen, director at Beacon of Hope Family Care Center.
Thelen tells me the increase ties back to inflation and a lack of affordable housing, something St. Johns Mayor Scott Dzurka says has the city exploring solutions.
"So our role is really to find ways to promote, work with developers, utilize tax incentives, and other means so that developers can build housing," Dzurka said.
Another challenge is that there is currently no emergency housing available in St. Johns. Mayor Dzurka tells me they are exploring future solutions, including a potential homeless shelter.
While that search for solutions continues, local organizations like Beacon of Hope are stepping in to help those in need.
"Beacon used to serve, 5 years ago, 6 years ago, maybe serve 10 or 12 homeless families. Now we're over 50 homeless families a year. So the numbers have gone up dramatically," said Karen Leif, resource navigator at Beacon of Hope.
No matter the struggle, neighbors in St. Johns tell me it's a community that's always willing to 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
Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.
