LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — The town of Lansing has filed a lawsuit in opposition to two companies for “allowing” a homeless camp to develop on their property.
Within the lawsuit, the town claims the enterprise has allowed the camp to thrive for the previous a number of years. Officers say the camp has no water or gasoline, and that there’s even proof of drug use on the property.
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Since April of final yr, Brent Morse, the property supervisor of one of many companies, a warehouse on N Grand River Ave., has been coping with the camp and says he has requested the town for assist a number of occasions.
“We literally called LPD. We tried to get them to trespass them, and all LPD kept saying was that, ‘You know our hands are tied right now,’ and ‘There’s nothing we can do,’” said Morse. “‘We are able to kick them out, they usually would possibly go away, however they may simply come again that day or that night time.'”
Morse says Lansing Code Enforcement despatched them letters to take away the homeless and clear up the rubbish, however Morse says he and his coworkers have achieved all they will.
“I have literally asked the city for help in removing the trash, since the police wouldn’t trespass them from the property,” said Morse. “We simply cannot go in there and inform them to depart. I simply do not know what they anticipated us to do with out the assistance from the police.”
Morse says that in April 2024, he met with the town code enforcement officer and the assistant chief of police to resolve the difficulty, however he says the assembly was for the town to current the lawsuit to the property homeowners.
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6 Information went to the camp, and residents advised us there are a minimum of 15 to twenty constructions, and even stays of a trailer that was set on fireplace in some unspecified time in the future.
Willie Hayes, one of many residents of the camp, says the shelters flip folks away and says he was advised to return to the camp by regulation enforcement.
“Got here to me and my spouse, and advised us we needed to transfer again right here, as a result of that was metropolis property up there, and we did,” mentioned Hayes.
Morse wished that the town dealt with the state of affairs rather a lot higher.
“As a substitute of threatening personal homeowners with a lawsuit and all the things, I imply, the town might’ve prevented this from occurring,” mentioned Morse.
Morse claims that again in July 2024, a couple of homeless folks introduced campers to the property. He says his boss mentioned the campers wanted to be gone. So, he says he known as a towing firm, however the firm advised him that they must be tagged to be towed.
So, Morse says he known as native regulation enforcement to tag them.
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“Then they released the guy, and just gave him an ultimatum that he had to be out there by 4 o’clock the next day with all his belongings and the campers. And if they came back, they would arrest him, but they never came back,” mentioned Morse. “So, the camper just literally got pushed further back into the woods. So, the fires that happened with those campers would’ve not ever happened if they would’ve just put some stickers on them,” mentioned Morse.
6 Information reached out to the town of Lansing and obtained the next assertion from a spokesperson:
The Metropolis understands the plight of the unhoused group and lately accomplished a complete examine that appears at homelessness locally and identifies methods to handle points. The creation of encampments that lack fundamental sanitation and utility providers is just too nice of a menace to the general public well being, welfare, and security to be allowed to proceed in existence. It additionally violates metropolis ordinances and state legal guidelines, so the Metropolis is taking vital steps to convey this property again into compliance with the regulation.
A number of metropolis council members, companies, and space residents have made complaints and requests for the location to be cleaned up. As a result of this camp is situated on personal property and the property homeowners usually are not complying with the regulation, the town is stepping in to take motion. The trash, particles, human waste, and make-shift constructions violate metropolis ordinance. Lansing police, fireplace, and EMS have needed to reply right here many occasions for violence, a number of fires and accidents, propane tank explosions, and medical emergencies. The homeless road outreach PATH Groups and social staff have been there and provided assets and entry to shelters, however have been banned from additional visits by the folks there. As well as, there’s accessible house in native shelters for these residents to start the method of discovering protected housing.
No matter whether or not it’s substandard rental housing or improvised dwellings at encampments, the Metropolis can’t enable such dwelling conditions that aren’t protected for the people residing there and are detrimental to the well being, security, and welfare of the Metropolis of Lansing. We proceed to work with businesses on expanded shelter capability and programming, and proceed to work to offer extra reasonably priced housing choices all through the Metropolis to assist get folks into protected properties.
Metropolis of Lansing Spokesperson Scott Bean, July 25, 2025.
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