LANSING, Mich — As the issue of homelessness continues to be a pressing concern for Lansing residents, city officials are moving from discussion to action. A recent community meeting revealed how findings from the city’s homelessness study are now shaping a concrete plan aimed at addressing both immediate and long-term needs.
- Lansing officials are turning findings from a recent homelessness study into a community-driven action plan focused on both immediate support and long-term solutions.
- Advocates like Mark Mitchell, who experienced homelessness firsthand, emphasize the need for ongoing support beyond just placing individuals in housing.
- Short-term solutions include the introduction of housing pods and a virtual database to connect landlords and with those in need.
- City leaders aim to finalize a comprehensive plan soon, with community input playing a central role in shaping each of the nine proposed recommendations.
WATCH: From study to solution: Lansing continues work on homelessness action plan
Mark Mitchell, once homeless himself, is now a vocal advocate for solutions that go beyond short-term fixes.
“I am the result of your effort. I am the result of your pain, and patience, and money,” said Mitchell.
He believes access to housing resources has improved in Lansing, but says the city still has work to do.
“I like to say I’m not responsible for those things that happened to me in the past because I didn’t have the knowledge of the resources that were available to me to deal with this,” he explained.
Mitchell emphasized that securing housing is just the first step in a much larger journey.
“How do we continue that support after placement? It’s one thing to put a person in housing—it’s a whole other thing to maintain housing,” he said.
Many community members echoed this concern, noting that issues like domestic violence, trauma, and lack of mental health support contribute to recurring homelessness and growing street encampments in Lansing.
“There is a lack of safe and affordable housing for our folks in our community, resulting in a lot of encampments coming up,” said Jennifer McMahon.
While city leaders declined to comment directly on encampments, they stressed that community concerns are not being ignored.
“The people with strong opinions—there’s value in it,” said Kim Coleman of the Human Relations and Community Services Department. “If everybody’s cheerleaders, we won’t be able to see the whole picture. I welcome that, and my way of balancing it is having these kinds of meetings and hoping they’ll join us.”
Coleman and other officials participated in a follow-up meeting this week, aimed at transforming the city’s recent homelessness study into a meaningful, community-driven action plan.
“The study resulted in nine recommendations,” Coleman shared. “We are now looking at taking each one and making an action, hopefully including the community in doing so.”
In the short term, officials say two top priorities are the rollout of housing pods and the launch of a virtual database. This platform will allow landlords to list available units, improving access to emergency and transitional housing options.
Long-term, city leaders aim to finalize a comprehensive homelessness action plan by next year—one that will involve not just city departments, but also nonprofits, landlords, and advocates.
As conversations continue, community members like Mitchell hope these efforts lead to lasting change.
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