Royal Oak pastor urges citywide extreme-weather response after deaths of unhoused residents

Pastor Jeff Nelson, of First United Methodist Church in Royal Oak, told the City Commission on Dec. 8 that the city needs a coordinated response to extreme-weather emergencies to protect people who are unhoused.

"We need to ask ourselves where do our on-house friends go for safety and shelter," Nelson said, recounting the recent death of an unhoused neighbor he called Joe and urging the commission to "initiate a conversation about developing a citywide response to extreme weather emergencies." Nelson said up to four men sometimes sleep on church steps and described the church’s work as a stopgap until a broader plan exists.

Outreach on Seventh volunteer Jay Dunston provided program details and usage figures. He said the church’s lunch program serves more than 15,000 meals a year; in 2025 the group had distributed more than 2,700 smart bus passes, provided about 264 loads of laundry, nearly 50 winter coats since November, and acts as a mailing address for over 100 unhoused people. "The most important thing at this point is to feed them and keep them warm until spring," Dunston said.

Nelson and Dunston asked the commission to work with community groups and city staff to identify shelter locations, staffing and resources for cold-weather and other extreme-weather events. They said Outreach on Seventh cannot carry the burden alone and requested city leadership to coordinate a comprehensive strategy.

The mayor thanked the speakers and noted the commission would record their contact information for follow-up. No formal action on the request was recorded at the meeting.