New (Affordable?) Homes
Affordable housing. It’s the problem that will likely never be fixed, only addressed, with incremental improvements being the best we can hope for.
That being said… here’s an incremental improvement that’s going to be life changing for a number of local families. It’s the Habitat for Humanity project on Spring Street, next to the new Beacon House.
A drive-by look at the empty corner lot would suggest there’s not much room for extensive development. But, leave it to the house building experts at Habitat for Humanity to figure out how to squeeze 8 new single-family homes (drawings seen above) into an area that’s not even a full acre. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and in this case, that means lots that measure less than 33 feet wide. Barry Polzin, volunteer architect for the project, is confident in the process. “I think this is a great first step. The Habitat system for building housing and making it so families in need can take ownership is a proven successful model for addressing the housing issue.”
Again… this won’t end our affordable housing problem, but it’s a step in the right direction, and a template for future incremental steps. The city has a couple other properties that could go in a similar direction, if that’s the will of the commission. You may recall that the Beacon House hoped to purchase the Spring Street property but our city leaders listened to those advocating for affordable, or “workforce” housing, and instead partnered with Habitat for Humanity to address those current needs.
Commissioner Evan Bonsall has been a leading voice in the effort to address the housing situation. “Our housing needs are bigger than the addition of 8 units, but this project establishes a precedent and sets an example for how to proceed in the future.”
Working within the Habitat for Humanity program, this project rings all the bells for a successful outcome. According to Assistant Director Janna Fox, “Partner families will go through the Habitat application and selection process. If selected, each adult in the family will be expected to put in at least 250 sweat equity hours on their project, alongside Habitat staff and volunteers. Once completed, the partner family will purchase the home from Habitat with an affordable mortgage.”
There are still some loose ends that need to be tied up with the purchase agreement between Habitat and the city, but if all goes accordingly, work on the project will begin next spring.
Room at this Inn
It’s a good thing they didn’t have Yelp a couple thousand years ago, or that callous Bethlehem hotel, the one that wouldn’t even let Mary and Joseph hunker down in the lobby, would’ve taken a hit. Lucky for them the story took a more interesting turn. Nobody even remembers the name of the place anymore.
Contrast that with Marquette’s Room at the Inn, the local non-profit committed to the idea that there should always be a room available for those in need.
According to acting Executive Director Stephen Krygier, if they don’t have room, they’ll make room. “Room at the Inn has 30 permanent beds and 16 additional overflow spots, which are only made available when temperatures are at or below 20 degrees F. Our current capacity is 46 and we still have 16 overflow spots for persons in need.”
As temperatures have dropped, that will surely put more pressure on their capacity. One saving grace, so to speak, is that several area churches have re-started their overnight programs, most of which were discontinued due to the pandemic.
Unless you’re one of their dedicated volunteers, all you probably know about Room at the Inn is what you see when you drive by their Warming Center on West Washington. And that’s not always a good look.
A few months back it looked like the Warming Center had found a new home. Without appearing insensitive, many residents were happy to hear that a different location, off the main drag, was in the works. Unfortunately, that deal fell through, along with plans for a new facility.
Nearby homeowners, neighboring businesses, and Marquette folks in general would likely agree… there’s gotta be a better, more appropriate place to feed and house our homeless population. But Room at the Inn just received $100,000 from the county as part of the American Rescue Plan and intends to use that money on infrastructure improvement at the current location, so a move to a new facility is now on the back burner, at best.
On the surface, all most of us see in our homeless is a disheveled group of cigarette smoking loiterers hanging outside the Warming Center, waiting to be served their next free meal.
According to Krygier, that characterization falls short of the full story. “Two-thirds of our guests are employed and/or receiving a steady income. There just aren’t enough affordable or accessible housing options to pursue.”
And Room at the Inn does more than just serve as a place to crash. Krygier says they have a number of programs aimed at personal development. “We host recurring sessions with UGL Family Health, MIWorks, UPHP and more within our facilities to provide guests with essential services dedicated to personal and professional wellbeing.
“Our guests are constantly looking for the opportunities that may help to end their current episode of homelessness. Some lose housing locally and others come to us from surrounding areas to connect with our Street Outreach and Housing Navigation Case Managers. Our Managers have been successful in making sure a guest’s episode of homelessness is short-term and a one-time occurrence.”
Former Room at the Inn director Nick Emmendorfer saw firsthand the type of people who took advantage of this community service. “The most loving acts of kindness I have ever witnessed were guests helping other guests at the shelter. Without bias, without judgement, and without trying to assess worthiness, they just helped each other. We could all take a page out of their book in learning how and why we should help our neighbors in need. Nothing ever has, or ever will, teach me more about what it means to be human than working with the individuals who experience homelessness.”
This weekend, as many celebrate the birth of their Savior in that primitive manger, it would serve us well to look at the homeless in a different light. It’s been suggested that the downtrodden aren’t looking for a handout, but rather a hand up. If you’ve skipped a couple trips to the gym during the holidays, the late Bernard Meltzer suggests… “There is no better exercise for your heart than reaching down and helping to lift someone up.”
With the hope that there will always be room at the inn for those in need, Word on the Street wishes you a Merry Christmas!