It's this time of year that we all try to find ways to stay a little bit warmer--insulating windows, turning up the thermostat, buying a new coat. But what about those who don't necessarily have those kinds of options? What about those who don't even have a home? Chippewa County residents facing homelessness now have a better, easier way to get help. The
Sault Housing Commission has become the central, starting point for Chippewa County residents who are either homeless or at risk of it.
"People often don’t know where to turn for rental assistance, utility help, or any number of other needs that put them on the brink of homelessness," says Linda LaFord, executive director of Sault Ste. Marie Housing Commission. "Now we are establishing a single place where people can go."
The Sault Ste. Marie Housing Commission has a long history of assisting vulnerable people in the community. Providing safe and affordable housing is the primary function of the Sault Ste. Marie Housing Commission since 1961 and the Safe Haven Emergency Shelter Program was established in 2002 in conjunction with other local agencies, to meet the needs of the homeless, and at risk for homelessness in Chippewa County.
Homelessness remains a serious problem in Michigan. About 100,000 residents were homeless at some point in 2010, about the same number as in 2009, according to Homelessness Management Information System data. In the U.P., there were 4,303 homeless families and in the Eastern Upper Peninsula alone there were 545 households, which include single individuals.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Linda LaFord, Sault Ste. Marie Housing Commission
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