LANSING, Mich — When asked about encampments, advocates Khadija Erickson and Mike Gorishek see them as places "where community lives." Now, Lansing officials are planning a structured alternative to help those experiencing homelessness.
• Lansing plans to spend $645,000 to purchase 50 mod pod units for homeless individuals.
• The project will include 36 single units and 14 double beds, targeting working-age individuals ready for housing stability.
• City Council has approved the first resolution, with plans to break ground in 2026.
WATCH: Lansing developing mod pod community to address homelessness
Khadija Erickson and Mike Gorishek are two advocates who support homeless encampments in Lansing.
"The existence of encampments show you that people are looking to exist and want to be apart of society," Erickson said.
Covering encampments in the city for the past few years, we've talked to people who view the locations as their homes.
"There's just not many places for us to go," said Jamie Jones, who has lived at an encampment.
It's a powerful statement that city officials say they hear frequently, which is why change is in the works.
"We are envisioning creating a mod pod community which is a safe outdoor community, designed to address homelessness," said Delvata Moses with the Department of Human Relations and Community Services.
The department hopes to spend $645,000 to purchase 50 mod pod units.
"We will have 36 single units and 14 double beds. The goal is target working age individuals ready for housing stability," Moses said.
A goal that the city says will be made possible with much needed resources at the mod pod community.
"We will have a resource center that will serve as a housing navigation center, we will have case management and work force development," Moses plained.
City Council approved the first resolution for the project on Monday. But there is still work that needs to be done, like securing additional permits and narrowing down a location.
"We want to explore using city owned properties or private land," Moses said.
If everything goes as planned, the city hopes to break ground on the community in 2026. A tentative deadline that some are looking forward to.
"Having this type of transitional housing or other transitional housing would really help people long term be able to maintain a safe, clean place to live," Erickson said.
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