LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – A dug-out shelter, about the size of a small office, was discovered under a downtown Lansing building’s cement patio.
The shelter was being used by people experiencing homelessness. But Lansing Police officials were on scene when 6 News arrived. They were evicting the inhabitants from the den because of safety concerns.
The structure dug under a cement patio that’s part of the property of the Grand Tower, 235 S. Grand Ave. The building is the headquarters for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Access to the shelter was made from the bank of the Grand River. Inside the space were chairs, beds and a table for residents to sit around.
The dug in shelter is another example of the city’s growing homelessness crisis.
“A few years back, we were averaging somewhere around the neighborhood of 132 people every night,” says Laura Grimwood, director of community engagement for City Rescue Michigan. “Which was before we really opened up our drop-in center. Then we continued last year, we actually were providing a safe haven for 244 people event night.”