Advocates tell council recent evictions undercut a Housing First hotel program

Several Lansing residents and advocates used the public-comment period to press council members about recent evictions from the Causeway Bay Hotel and the state of the city's hotel-based Housing First effort.

Speakers, including organizers and program participants, told council the eviction of program participants undermined measurable progress toward employment and housing stability and alleged inconsistent rules and poor communication between city contractors and advocacy groups.

“We watched this program succeed. Every single person who was at that hotel a month ago was working their butts off to improve their lives,” said a speaker during public comment, describing outreach and casework that helped residents secure medical attention, mental-health services and work. The speaker added they had helped residents attend meetings and obtain benefits and said evicted participants were offered inadequate alternatives.

Chantelle Spears told council, “Housing is a human right,” and said many residents with disabilities missed required in-lobby appointment schedules because they could not physically make it to the lobby, and that some who did keep appointments were evicted nonetheless.

Anuja Sudarshan, an advocacy group member, said the program had given residents renewed faith in the system and warned that cutting residents from the hotel risked returning people to encampments and disrupting relationships with caseworkers and community advocates.

Council members did not announce a formal policy reversal at the meeting. The public record included requests from advocates for clearer communication between Human Relations and Community Services (HRCS), housing providers and community advocates, and for the city to consider reinstating residents where appropriate.