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6 GROUNDCOVER NEWS HOMELESSNESS NOVEMBER 29, 2024 Chandra (left) dreams of opening a non-profit community theater. George and Chris (middle) would like to open a homeless shelter. Jen (right) wants to pay the debts she incurred while homeless. Photo credit: Emily Mills. People in the neighborhood Recently, the city of Ypsilanti tried to pass a resolution granting the city manager carte blanche to use whatever means necessary, including police presence, to “make the downtown core safe.” The “downtown core” includes the four blocks surrounding Michigan Ave and Washington St. in Ypsilanti. Many of the speakers in support of the resolution expressed a “not in my backyard” sentiment during public comment at City Council, also supporting incarceration for loitering. Some of them said, “those people could get off the street if they wanted to.” Yet many of the neighbors and business owners who spoke don't know anything about these people's situations, including what they are doing to help themselves. These are the stories of four people who spend time in this downtown core. Chandra Chandra is a 50-year-old woman who is a mother of four and a grandmother of five. She is currently sleeping outside. I asked her how she came to experience homelessness. Chandra replied, “I had an apartment but my boyfriend had a stroke and couldn't go to work so I was the only one in the family working. Eventually we lost our apartment. This was four years ago. Since then I’ve been staying with my daughter here and there, going back and forth from my friend's house — basically couch surfing. Last night I slept on the church steps. It's hard to be out here, I’m a mother and a grandmother. I don’t have anywhere to go.” She began to tear up. “And now the church says we've been there too long so now we had to leave. This is so stressful, at times I don't know if I'm coming or going. My mind is overwhelmed! I can’t get any JIM CLARK Groundcover vendor No. 139 rest and have no place to unwind. Getting a job in this situation is challenging, let alone keeping one.” “What would help you get to a better place?” I asked. “I need help with inspiration. We tend to let people be where they are without pushing them to do more. I need some assistance. I need a mentor. I have no older women in my life to guide me. The desire for guidance is a natural human need. We need opportunities to grow and we need our elders and teachers to guide us to that growth and through that growth. Without opportunities to stretch ourselves, we can become complacent.” “What would you do with a million dollars?” “I have great ideas, but the one I would most like to start is a non-profit theater troupe called ‘Make Ypsilanti Laugh Again — MYLA!’ We all need to smile and enjoy things, even though we all are stressed!” Jen Jen is a 42-year-old woman. She is 4 1/2 months pregnant, sleeping in a tent, and surviving active domestic violence. I asked her the same question to begin, “How did you become homeless?” Jen shared, “I had an apartment last year, but I lost it because I couldn’t pay for it. It was a one bedroom apartment in Arbor One. My rent was $1,088 a month. So we had to leave. I moved to Indiana with my son to live with my cousin. But it was bad all the way around. My cousin kept threatening to throw us out. I think she was into my boyfriend and mad that she couldn’t have him. So there were arguments everyday. She finally kicked us out. I got my tax payout so we got a rental car and came back to Michigan. We were staying in it for two months but then Enterprise took the car away.” The repossession occurred April 10th. The trip to Indiana was in February, and the temperatures were in the 20s. Jen went on. “Since the car was gone I was sleeping in the port-a-potty in a local park. I didn’t have a place to keep my clothes so I hid them in the woods but someone stole them. I was left with my winter coat, shirt and shoes for two weeks. A friend took me to a hospitality house and I was able to get some clothes, a tent, a cot and a few other things. They helped me find a safe place to pitch my tent.” I asked her, “What is keeping you homeless?” “Keeping a job.” “Are you employed now?” “No, but I’m looking.” “How long ago since your last job?” “I quit that job about a month ago.” “Why did you quit?” “My boss and I had a falling out. I understand that we are employees and the boss expects certain things, but you can’t talk to people abusively. So even though I’m homeless, I have more self-respect than to stay in a hostile work environment or an abusive relationship.” “Another thing that can keep you homeless is your credit,” Jen offered, “if you have an issue with your credit they aren’t going to accept you. Even if you have the money. I even tried second chance places but they still denied me, so here I am. It’s not like I’m not trying.” I asked, “If you could have any job you want, college tuition paid, or on-the-job training, what would it be?” Jen answered, “If I had a car, I would use it to DoorDash while I put myself through school. I liked health occupations in high school. I’m curious about phlebotomy or being a medical assistant.” “Final question: what would you do with a million dollars?” Jen said, “I would like to pay off debts and travel.” George and Chris George, 34, and Chris, 44, are life partners. Chris is recovering from a heroin addiction; George takes care of him while working as a cook for Fed Up Ministries and volunteering. They met last winter at a homeless shelter. “So what happened? How did you become homeless?” I asked him. George replied, “I was working at Tower Inn and when they changed over to Basil Babe I was laid off. I was living in Schooner Cove when my lease ended. They raised the rent on my studio apartment to $845/mo. It was just too expensive. Nowhere else would approve me because the wages I made before I was laid off wasn’t enough to cover all the fees and security deposits. So my next stop was a tent. “ “What did you do after you were laid off?” “I found a job as a waiter at IHOP. I was still homeless. But I had to leave IHOP because there was an issue with my partner at the time. He was bringing drama to my place of work, so unfortunately they let me go but I was okay with that. Then I got a management position at Marco’s Pizza in Rawsonville. But I had to leave there as well, it was just too far.” see PEOPLE page 8 

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