Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer people are experiencing homelessness in Washtenaw County

by DOINA PLOP
Deputy Editor

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Washtenaw County experienced a surprising decrease in the number of people experiencing homelessness.

A great number of people have been housed just before or during the pandemic thanks to the efforts of the community, the shelter and housing associations, and the eviction prevention measures put in place during the pandemic.

According to Dan Kelly, executive director at the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, there has been a 10 percent reduction in people experiencing homelessness in the last year.

During the pandemic, “a lot of people stepped up offering financial support, volunteering, and donations. The need is still great, but there is a caring community that wants to make a difference,” said Kelly.

The Shelter Association of Washtenaw County is located at the Robert J. Delonis Center in downtown Ann Arbor. It provides services and temporary shelter for around 1,500 individuals each year. In addition to basic needs, the shelter provides case managers who guide each individual through the process. The main goal is to help people move to a permanent home.

According to Kelly, the Delonis Center is open 24/7. It is also operating five new off-site locations and working with local hotels. The organization increased staffing and services accordingly.

If you need assistance you can walk into the Delonis Center anytime or call during business hours. For more information, volunteering opportunities, or donations visit the Shelter Association website.

Factors that can contribute to homelessness include the lack of affordable housing and/or affordable health care, domestic violence, mental illness, and substance abuse. Numerous Americans could be a paycheck, an illness, or an accident away from being homeless.

According to the California-based social research organization Applied Survey Research, many people experiencing housing instability work and still cannot afford a house and basic commodities. Others struggle to get a job because of their lack of transportation or a permanent address.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, 37 states “have reduced homelessness since 2007, with the most significant gains occurring in Michigan (-70 percent), Kentucky (-49 percent), and New Jersey (-49 percent).”

There is progress, but there are still a lot of people without homes.

In January 2019, a report to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development found  “Michigan had an estimated 8,575 experiencing homelessness on any given day. Of that total, 1,022 were family households, 599 were veterans, 489 were unaccompanied young adults (aged 18-24), and 950 were individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.”

According to Andrew Kraemer, CoC Data and Evaluation Specialist at Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development, this year’s Point-in-Time Count of people experiencing homelessness was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

More information about the 2020 CoC Annual Report on homelessness in Washtenaw County is expected to be available to the public later this spring.

In Ann Arbor, members of the community, including some who’ve experienced homelessness, are trying to help.

Jay Myers was recently rehoused after three years of homelessness. He now hopes to make the difference one bike at a time.

“I have never run a business, but it just feels like the right thing to do,” said Myers.

His A2 Cycle of Success project started taking shape in December when Myers was able to get re-housed with the help of Avalon’s Supportive Housing program. With this project, he aims to provide Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area residents with affordable bicycles.

Every bike purchase or bike repair will sponsor a free bike and free bike repair for a member of the community who can’t afford it. The goal is to provide the independence of transportation to the homeless and poverty-stricken residents who face barriers to reliable transportation for work or school.

“I am trying to rebuild my life on the back of something that was my first real job,” said Myers, who had previously gotten rid of his car and electrified his bike. “While I was homeless, I volunteered with Boober Tours in exchange for having a place and supplies to work on my electrified bike,” he said.

Myers became homeless after being assaulted. His inspirations for opening the business were Kevin Spangler with Boober Tours and the TV show Undercover Billionaire.

“One day Kevin asked me what I thought about running a bike shop and it bounced around in my head for several months until I watched Undercover Billionaire and the guy said something like ‘you have to make money with what you have’. I have a skill set, a church to do my work in, and people to help, so I went to work,” said Myers.

“This [project] is really therapeutic for me,” said Myers. “I would like to turn it into a non-profit and return some level of control to my life.”

A2 Cycle of Success accepts bikes, tools, accessories, and financial donations.

For more information and donations visit the A2 Cycle of Success website and  GoFundMe fundraiser.

Ariah Schugat has also recently experienced homelessness in Ann Arbor. Now, she’s doing her part to help others by distributing free battery packs to the homeless to help them stay connected.

Schugat became homeless after escaping an abusive relationship. Her main way to stay connected to the services during the pandemic was her phone. Phones need to be charged and when one does not have a home, this simple task becomes difficult.

Once she became housed, she decided to distribute battery pack kits. The idea came from her personal experience of being homeless and how much it helped her to stay in touch with the Washtenaw services and the community.

“I was incredibly lucky,” said Schugat, “that’s why I decided to give back to the community.”

The community helped her improve her situation with GoFundMe donations and housing.

“Human kindness is at the center of all of this”, said Schugat. Ultimately, the goal is to help people. “I am working two jobs and I am still making time for this [project].”

The project started with 30 battery pack kits that were put together thanks to a $600 donation from a local benefactor. The kits consist of a pre-charged portable battery pack, a USB wall charging block, a multi-end USB charging cable, and individually wrapped alcohol wipes.

“Everyone can relate to having a dead phone, but for the homeless, this can lead to huge impacts on their lives. Having a dead phone, for some, means that their probation officer cannot get ahold of them. They can go back into the system… There are so many problems that just keeping your phone on can solve in today’s world,” said Schugat.

For more information and donations, you can visit Schugat’s GoFundMe fundraiser.

The solution to homelessness seems simple – more affordable housing.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, two ways proved efficient in ending homelessness: permanent supportive housing and rapid re-housing.

Permanent supportive housing offers long-term rental assistance with supportive services. It is targeted to individuals and families with chronic illnesses, disabilities, mental health issues, or substance use disorders who have experienced long-term or repeated homelessness.

Rapid re-housing offers short-term rental assistance and services meant to help people obtain housing quickly, increase self-sufficiency, and stay housed.

In the last few years, the number of temporary housing beds in the US decreased by 9 percent while the number of permanent housing beds — like permanent supportive housing and rapid re-housing — increased by 20 percent.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, “these numbers reflect a shift in policy priorities. Renewed emphasis is on ending homelessness by moving more people into permanent housing, rather than allowing them to linger indefinitely in shelters and unsheltered locations.”

How can you help?

• Advocate. Contact your elected officials.
• Learn what organizations are around you and what their needs are. Stay informed.
• Help by volunteering or donating money and other goods.
• Be kind. Avoid judging someone based on their social position.
• Raise awareness. Educate others about homelessness and affordable housing issues.

Especially during wintertime, notify the city officials if the sidewalks are unusable or inaccessible due to snow. This might prevent people from reaching the services they need to stay safe and receive assistance.

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