LANSING, Mich — DeSeans Cook has been unhoused for a few years now.
“I then slept behind bushes, on stairs, apartment lounges, anywhere you can name,” he said.
This experience is not unique to DeSean. The Ingham County Continuum of Care said in 2026, there are 847 unhoused people in the county, that number is up from the 643 reported in 2025.
“We’re seeing this across the board, across the nation, Michigan is no different than anywhere else,” said Nick Cook with The Coalition Against Homelessness.
Nick believes a contributing factor to the homelessness increase, is the state of the economy.
“Rents have increased by 25% since in 2020 here in Michigan, the cost of living has continued to increase by salaries have stayed stagnated,” Nick said.
Which is why Nick believes a solution for the homelessness problem could be investments in more affordable housing and outreach.
In Lansing investments have been made for transitional housing.
The City set aside $800,000 in their recently passed budget for the 50 mod pods that are expected to be up and running later in the year.
