4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS HOMELESSNESS Housing the unhoused in Washtenaw County My name is Michael Jones. I am a writer, photographer and vendor for Groundcover News in Ann Arbor. Groundcover News was founded in April 2010, as a means to empower low-income persons to make the transitions from homeless to housed, and from jobless to employed. Street newspapers like Groundcover News exist in cities all over the United States, as well as in more than 40 other countries, in an effort to raise awareness of the plight of the homeless and combat the increase in poverty. Before I go any further, I would like to give a hardy thank you to the many who work tirelessly day and night to serve the unhoused and those in need: Peggy, Sheri, Lindsay, Ben and Brian from the Mercy, Peace, Hospitality and Purple Houses, respectively: I say thank you from the bottom of my heart. And we can’t forget the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County for all you guys do for the community. I say thank you to board members, staff and those who stand on the frontlines in this war on homelessness and poverty. Washtenaw County is facing a homelessness problem. During sub-zero temperatures in the middle of January, the Ypsilanti police threatened to evict unhoused people from their tent encampment along Michigan Avenue, leaving the homeless with nowhere to go. Facing imminent eviction, the people staying there chose to move on, and the county government helped with some hotel nights for them. You can read more about that in the January 26, 2024 edition. The Delonis Center, the Washtenaw County shelter, is over-capacity especially during the winter months. and what plans they have for this building, but I would like to use this structure as an example of what type of space is needed to house the unhoused in Washtenaw County. Not only would this be a place to MIKE JONES Groundcover vendor No. 113 I was born and raised in Ann Arbor and like most people who grew up here, had to relocate to Ypsilanti due to the unaffordability of Ann Arbor. I was once homeless here in Washtenaw County. I was also a cab driver for over ten years and homeless or unhoused at the same time. The number of unhoused people in the United States dropped from 637,000 in 2010 to about 554,000 in 2017. But homelessness is spiking upward now, due to the high cost of living and to some degree the pandemic; and as a result, tens of thousands more people in the U.S. were unhoused in 2023 compared with 2022. On average 2,000-3,000 people in Washtenaw County are homeless each year; over half are children. I would like to share a small portion of my vision for a Washtenaw County Shelter for unhoused individuals and families. Located in Ypsi on Michigan Avenue between Hamilton and Adams Street is a beautiful building and structure; once upon a time it was part of the Eastern Michigan University Business School. I don’t know who owns that building Former site of Eastern Michigan University's College of Business, located at 300 W. Michigan Ave in Ypsilanti. house those in need, but could also be a refuge of resources within the campus area. Resources such as: mental health/ drug treatment clinics, job training and resource center, and programs to help those re-entering society from incarceration and young adults entering society from foster care. This facility will be community friendly and operated by professionals and volunteers who are passionate about helping and serving individuals and families in need. We who live in Washtenaw County are fortunate to have three fine educational institutions, the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University and Washtenaw Community College. I’m sure these institutions wouldn’t mind lending their expertise to help the homeless and provide internship opportunities for students to be involved in active work experience. This would be rewarding not only for the unhoused and those in need, but a life changing and consciousness upgrade for interns and volunteers, who are at such an impressionable age in their development as young adults. Institutions, organizations and people from all ages from various backgrounds would gather, and work for a great cause with the aim to enlighten and redeem. I would encourage Washtenaw County citizens to see if the County could purchase that site I mentioned, or consult a developer, and build a campus structure of this magnitude or greater to be able serve at the capacity needed. Editor's note: Michigan Innovation Headquarters has purchased the old EMU Business School. It will be rennovated to be a "life science and technology hub in downtown Ypsilanti, complete with medical offices, multiple dining options, and state-of-the-art wet lab spaces," according to Ann Arbor SPARK. FEBRUARY 9, 2024 Giveaways do no good Editor's note: This is an opinion piece. Before, two or three years ago, there weren’t as many homeless people in Ann Arbor. Today, there’s too many people staying outside. I heard that all these people are coming from Detroit. I have been here for nine years; I came with nothing. Now all these people want free things. This county has thousands of people out there waiting for housing. My caseworker tries to help me anytime, but if I don’t need help I tell her, “for now I’m OK.” But sometimes I don’t know what’s happening to me. Sometimes I think I might be losing my mind. All the time, I see people asking for retirement and disability income]. I don’t understand why they pay this much money a year. This is the question: why is the United States doing so many things for these crazy people? They need to have more mental health care and hospitals so that these people are not outside in the cold. I remember in Cuba, in the 70s, ROBERTO ISLA CABALLERO Groundcover vendor No. 347 something, asking, asking, trying to work, real work. Now, in 2024, the social security administration pays a trillion dollars a year [total of both social security Castro said: either you work, or you go to jail. In America you don’t have laws like that. Everything is free. People don’t want to go to work, they want to stay in the street. The American Constitution needs to change many things. Why do people still come to America to become drug dealers, gang members, and pimps? Sometimes people come to America to work. That’s okay. But too many people come here and they don’t have a green card, or social security, or anything. Lots of bosses accept people and pay them cash money under the table. Immigration and police need to change. The White House and the Capitol are not doing anything. What needs to be done is: take out the Statue of Liberty because it’s looking bad. They need to change the Constitution. In 2016, Barack Obama went to Cuba and made a law that opened up the border. He did not make sure that people coming from Cuba wouldn't be deported though. I want to say thank you to America. I am a Cuban refugee. Finito.
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