The Open Door Ministry                              OF DOWNTOWN LANSING

Rally for Affordable Housing Held February 20, 2008

The Oliver Towers Coalition of 23 Churches, in association with The Open Door Ministry of Downtown Lansing, sponsored a rally with the theme "Affordable housing for those who want homes," on February 20, 2008. The rally started at Oliver Towers, on the corner of North Capitol and Ionia, then moved to the City Hall Plaza, where Councilwoman Sandy Allen was among the speakers. This was an opportunity to support those in need by demonstrating that Lansing should provide adequate subsidized housing, including the use of Oliver Towers, to help solve the homeless problem. Oliver Towers is an eight story, 100 unit apartment building that was abandoned after a well contained fire in 2000.

The purpose of this event was to show that citizens of Lansing are concerned about and do want to be involved in helping find a solution to the lack of affordable housing in Lansing. Using facilities already built for, and available to be used for homes would be a start in addressing this shortage. Whatever facilities are used, the occupants must have ready access to the support services they need plus individual monitoring and nurturing. This is the concept of the "Homes First" program (recently featured on PBS)--to provide a home first, and then address and treat the cause of their homelessness.

Nationwide, the primary cause of homelessness is lack of affordable housing.

Census on August 29, 2006, showed Lansing residents living at or below the Federal poverty line comprise 24% of the population of the county. Ingham County has the fourth largest concentration of poverty in Michigan. (Interagency Council on Homelessness report 3/6/2006)

Professor Dennis Culham of the University of Pennsylvania pointed out in the late 1990's that a $12,000 per year supportive housing unit was far more effective in keeping people off the streets than than shelter beds and that this "Homes First" concept was much less expensive than the status quo.

It is much less costly to put chronically homeless folks in safe and decent housing (homes), giving them the support system they need than it is to have them perpetually rotating in and out of hospitals, jails, ambulances and psychiatric hospitals.


If Lansing is to be a "World Class City and "A City on the Move," it must care for the homeless and those living in poverty by providing affordable housing for people who want homes.