Residents urge action on homelessness as county mental-health board offers partnership and opioid-settlement guidance

During two public-comment periods, several residents urged the Mount Clemens City Commission to act on homelessness and improve transparency and services for vulnerable residents. County and nonprofit officials offered partnership and funding suggestions.

Summer Paris Shafi said she would like the city to consider a supervised, well-managed tent community for people experiencing homelessness and outlined rules she would impose for safety and order. "I'd make sure it'd be clean, and God loves all of us," she said, describing a camp model with spacing, no drugs, no alcohol and supports to help people find jobs and housing.

Shelly Emerson urged restoration of park benches, more foot patrols downtown and noted difficulty distinguishing mental-health crises from substance abuse in street-level encounters. "The sheriff's department cannot handle or should not have to handle mental illness and drug problems," she said, urging broader supports.

Antoinette Wallace, who identified herself as a Macomb County commissioner speaking on behalf of the mental health board, said the board is willing to partner with Mount Clemens and other local governments and that opioid-settlement dollars might be available to support services. Wallace said settlement distributions can vary by municipality and cited example figures sent to the city ("$18,000" versus "$42,000" in other communities). City staff and counsel clarified that Mount Clemens had opted in to the settlement and that public lists maintained by the attorney general may lag the national settlement administrator's data.

Sam Felicia urged the commission to require stronger transparency and governance from nonprofits that hold community property and said a formal report had been filed with the Michigan Attorney General's Charitable Trust Division.

City Manager Mr. Shipman and commissioners stressed available county resources and programs: early voting dates and multiple recreation events were announced, and staff pointed to county-supported services including water-bill assistance, rent help and transportation for older residents.

No formal policy vote on homelessness occurred at the meeting; commissioners noted opportunities to coordinate with the county and mental-health partners and encouraged residents to contact staff and the county about specific program needs.