Lansing shifts homelessness focus to warming center as winter nears

Lansing is prioritizing a low-barrier warming center over the NOVA Housing Initiative as winter approaches. Mayor Andy Schor stated that the city will use available opioid dollars and $100,000 from the county housing trust fund to support the immediate shelter needs. Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries has been awarded the contract to run the drop-in warming center and the Salvation Army building at 525 S. Pennsylvania Ave.

Letts Community Center will serve as a temporary Code Blue shelter until the new center opens. The city is moving a rezoning request to allow the Salvation Army site to function as a low-barrier shelter, with a council vote scheduled for Dec. 7. This shift addresses the lack of a clear plan for extreme cold weather events and aims to house residents more quickly than the proposed pod project.

Concerns regarding the NOVA project's costs and timeline have prompted the change. Ingham County officials estimate infrastructure work for the original site at over $1 million, while City Councilwoman Deyanira Nevarez Martinez noted the initiative has not yet housed anyone despite significant spending. The county is also considering its current juvenile facility as an alternative anchor for the housing pods.

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