Public comment at the Dec. 15 Lansing City Council meeting focused heavily on the NOVA Mod Pod (tiny-house) initiative and the impending situation at Dietrich Park.

Several residents who live near the proposed Shebaaz (Shabazz) Academy site said the lot is too small, encircled by homes, and poorly suited for a Mod Pod community. Allison Rake, a nearby homeowner, told council, “Shebaaz is by far the smallest location on the top 5 list... this would not be a humanizing or trauma-informed environment for the Mod Pod residents.” Jamie Moriarty and Cutter Hume raised similar concerns about lack of transparency in site selection and warned that a poorly placed project could harm nearby property values and the program’s chance of success.

By contrast, speakers with lived experience and housing advocates said pods are urgently needed, urged council not to sweep the Dietrich Park encampment without housing alternatives, and demanded that people who are or were unhoused have a meaningful role in site selection and governance. Ivan Droste asked the council to place the voices of unhoused people front and center, saying council should “solicit opinion from the unhoused people who may end up living in this community.” Multiple speakers recounted past traumatic experiences when camp clearings occurred with little notice and urged the city to avoid that pattern in winter.

Advocates and some residents suggested alternative locations (including vacant city-owned lots and a parking lot slated for sale by the city) and asked for transparent cost estimates, neighborhood outreach, and commitments to long-term implementation and support. Several commenters urged the city to ensure Mod Pod placement would not preclude long-term development or leave sites blighted if the project failed.

Council took public comment and referred several items for committee review; no final site decision was made at the meeting. City officials announced a public NOVA site-placement meeting scheduled for Thursday (Alfreda Community Center) and said staff will continue outreach and follow-up with stakeholders.