I spoke with the mayor of St. Johns, who told me about the increasing issue of people without homes having to live in their cars. I wanted to learn more about the situation and find any resources available.
- St. Johns is experiencing a rise in homelessness that often goes unnoticed in the community.
- According to their 2024 report, 154 households in Clinton County received services from Housing Services Mid Michigan. That’s up from the 136 assisted in 2019.
- City officials are exploring solutions, including tax incentives for developers and a potential homeless shelter.
WATCH: St. Johns community works to address hidden homelessness issue as numbers rise dramatically
St. Johns tackles hidden homelessness issue as families struggle to find housing
St. Johns features a quaint downtown and tight-knit community, but it’s also home to an increasing, yet largely invisible problem.
“We don’t visually see homelessness here. And I think that it kind of lends itself to maybe, ‘If I don’t see it, I don’t believe it.’ But it is here, it’s on the increase,” said Cyndi Thelen, director at Beacon of Hope Family Care Center.
Thelen tells me the increase ties back to inflation and a lack of affordable housing, something St. Johns Mayor Scott Dzurka says has the city exploring solutions…