Imagine being woken up in the middle of the night to see one of your friends die in a fire.
That’s what happened to the residents of a local campsite on October 27. The site, located in the woods near the Whiskey Barrel, is the makeshift home of a small group of homeless people. Two members of the group were killed in an explosion caused by a fire lit inside a tent for warmth.
Lansing area homeless shelters want to prevent deaths like this. According to Angie Mayeaux, executive director of Haven House, shelters will not turn anyone away on nights when the temperatures are potentially deadly.
Michigan homelessness increased over 17% last year, with more than 100,000 people living on the streets in Michigan in 2009.