NOVEMBER 3, 2023 MAKING CHANGE Churches are critical for winter sheltering TESS ROUSTER Groundcover contributor The Delonis Center, operated by the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, is the only fixed location shelter for individual adults in Washtenaw County, and it only operates as an emergency nighttime shelter during the winter months. The need for winter shelter is greater than what the Delonis Center can accommodate. Moreover, unsheltered homelessness is rising and predicted to continue rising due to lack of affordable housing and cessation of COVID-era government aid. Because there is not enough space at Delonis and because it is not open for daytime shelter, SAWC also offers a rotating nighttime shelter for men and a rotating daytime warming center through faith communities in Ann Arbor. As of October 6, the congregations hosting the nighttime rotating shelter include: St. Mary Student Parish, Genesis/St. Clare's/Temple Beth Emeth, First Congregational Church, Keystone Church, First Baptist Church of Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Friends Meeting, St. Luke Lutheran, First Presbyterian — Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Christian Reformed, Zion Lutheran, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church and University Lutheran Chapel. Additionally, Journey of Faith, Zion Lutheran, First Baptist and St. Mary’s Student Parish are also hosting the rotating Daytime Warming Center. Ypsilanti has historically offered more affordable housing options than Ann Arbor. Simultaneously, there is a higher concentration of poverty and a lower concentration of resources and opportunities in Ypsi. As a result, long-term residents are getting hit especially hard by the dramatic rises in housing costs, and the resulting rise in homelessness. This past summer, there were 15-20 individuals using the awning outside of Growing Hope on S. Washington St. due to a lack of shelter options. There are currently only two locations offering emergency shelter in Ypsilanti this winter: St. Luke's Episcopal Church will provide nighttime and the Freight House will provide daytime shelter Monday through Thursday. Unless other community organizations step up to offer space, there will be no shelter options Friday-Saturday in Ypsilanti this winter. There is an urgent need for congregations and community organizations to step forward to support people experiencing housing crisis by filling the gap in winter shelter in Ypsilanti, and for funding to cover the additional staffing. SAWC will provide staff to anyone able to any organization able to provide a facility. You can help by asking your congregation or organization to host temporary shelter this winter. If your congregation or organization is interested, you can email Dan Kelly at kellyd@washtenaw.org. GROUNDCOVER NEWS 7 PUBLIC from last page do. Unfortunately this has been a rough summer, though. There’s been a lot of bigotry. We’ve been pushed around, bullied, thrown out of every different place. We were at the Plaza. The police came in the middle of the night, threw us out, threw all our stuff in the trash, kicked some kid in the head. And then we all moved down under (...) Fuller bridge because we had no other options, where the bulldozers came and tried to bulldoze all of our stuff. And we stood there. We would not let them touch our things because that’s all that we have. (...) It’s been an unfortunate event to see this bigotry aimed at people who have nothing. (...) It continues to blow my mind. But, I still support this community, and I think it’s a very beautiful place. Very special. So really all I wanted to say today is that decisions that are made today, just know that, as hard as this summer has been, the winter is going to be even harder, and lives are really at stake here.” MAGNUS THE ENTERTAINER “What happens when you close your door at the end of your night? And where must the homeless and unhoused lay down to recharge for the next productive day? These are questions, right? (...) What do we think will help? These are some of the questions that I ask myself while going through these changes as a professional (...). Well, not one individual program can solve these issues, alright? Not one program. It has to be all of us together. (...) Number 1: Funding the rotating shelter. In 2020, I was in the rotating shelter myself, and I was also in the Delonis shelter at the same time. As someone who was building a career while in this position, there are a lot of things that could have happened that would probably stop a person. But because of the rotating shelter and Delonis working together, a lot was achieved on their part, and the community that they serve. Another thing, keeping people alive, right? So it’s not just about giving a person a place to live, it’s not just about giving a person something to get through the day, it’s about actually keeping people alive. Because that’s what these services are doing, ultimately, breaking into new permanent housing solutions. So a lot of times we think situations like this have many layers to it unfinished!" "COUNTRY" MIDDLESTADT “I’m going to tell you, our system’s been broke. It’s been broke for a while. And you know what? You’re not gonna fix it when you’re not (...) looking at the fact that most of the people that are homeless within our community either have mental health or drug or alcohol issues. If we don’t deal with these drug and alcohol issues and mental health issues, we’re not going to fix our community, okay? We’re just going to be lying to ourselves. We have a shelter. We call it Delonis. Well I’m going to tell you that Delonis is basically more so of a (...) release center and a drug den. It’s also used at times for human trafficking. We need to fix that issue, okay? And that’s coming from somebody that is homeless in your community and is currently (...) doing five years of probation and has a lifetime registry for trying to take drugs off of your streets. Now, do I think that we need another shelter? Yeah, we definitely need a 24 hour shelter. We need a safe place for mamas and babies. We need safe places for children. (...) We don’t have that. (...) If you’re homeless living on the street, and you’re living in a tent, well, hopefully one of the local officers don’t (...) see your tent because what are they going to do? They’re going to tag it ‘You’ve got 48 hours or we’re throwing your stuff away’. And by the way, it’s a $500 fine if you’re caught. Do you think your homeless individual can pay $500? (...) Why don’t we fix what’s broken and not try to create something new? Cause we don’t need to create something new. We need to fix what we got. Now, I’m surely not (...) happy with HAWC that hasn’t been operating on our housing that’s preventing these agencies from doing their job.” JOHN KERGESTAL "I live in a homeless camp in Washtenaw county. I just want to start off by saying I’m truly grateful for the Delonis Center. There’s been plenty of times that I would have froze to death if it wouldn’t have been for them, and for them feeding us. I also want to say that I’m grateful for the Sheriff’s department because there is a certain Sheriff, that I’m not going to mention names, that does welfare checks on our camp, and personally makes sure that we’re okay. (...) Although he gets on us about drinking and whatever once in a while. But he still cares, and he doesn’t want to arrest us. He doesn’t want to take us to jail or anything. He just wants to make sure everything’s okay. And I hope that the City and the County will continue to fund the Robert J. Delonis Center because somebody like me truly depends on it.” STEFANI CROUSE "Earlier today, I attended my, I think, fifth eviction hearing this year. Every month I’m able to figure it out. I’m lucky. I have some ability to do that. However, this has been going on all year because there is no relief, right? There’s no place to go to ask for help right now and be able to actually get it. So we’re just figuring it out. In fact, my situation wouldn’t even be considered an emergency because my late rent is in the month that we’re in. But it’s every month. So I’m paying $250 extra every month because I’m paying for late fees and attorney fees to show up in court to have it dismissed. I’m not the only one going through this. I live in an apartment complex that is geared towards low-income people. I have watched my neighbors move out in droves. There are empty, naked units all over in my complex … and I don’t understand what’s happening. I am currently paying about almost $1,600 a month in rent to continue to live there because I can’t pay it on time. There are so many of me out there, and I just wanted to voice that tonight. Because my biggest fear is that one of these months, I’m not going to be able to figure it out, and I will become one of those people waiting for a bed for four to six months. And I don’t think that’s okay. And I don’t believe that any of you do either. And you have an opportunity to do something about it. Especially for those of us who live in Ypsilanti. And I’m talking about the women. Because the things that happen to us when we go homeless are unspeakable. And we need you to step up for us. Please … do something."
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