Bay City approves $400,000 to fund overnight drop-in center at Good Samaritan Rescue Mission

The Bay City Commission voted 7–2 to approve a resolution funding a proposed overnight drop-in center operated by Good Samaritan Rescue Mission, allocating $250,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) capital funds for renovations and $150,000 in local marijuana-tax revenue to support 12 months of operations.

Dan Streeter, with Rescue Ministries of Mid Michigan, told commissioners the proposed drop-in center would convert about 2,000 square feet in the southern part of the Good Samaritan building into a low-barrier, no-questions-asked space for people who will not enter a conventional shelter. "It would not be about sheltering at night. It would not be about sleeping accommodations," Streeter said, describing a layout of roughly 4-by-4-foot spaces and chairs, dimmed lighting, meals, showers and laundry access.

Streeter said staff modeled the plan on a Lansing drop-in program that drew 60–80 people nightly and improved connections to housing and health services. He told commissioners the space would be open each night from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., that renovations could begin after city approval and funding…