Jackson, Mich. — Housing instability in the City of Jackson is a concern going into the winter months, says mayor Daniel Mahoney, who recently joined Greg O’Connor on NewsTalk 970AM/101.5FM.
These concerns were addressed at the last city council meeting on Tuesday, November 22. Mahoney says the worst place to be in 30-degree weather is outdoors looking for someplace to get warm. “If there is something we can do from a city standpoint, we should be doing it.”
Mayor Mahoney says city council has come up with a few ideas, none of which are without their challenges. Options include setting up pre-fabricated temporary housing from Pallet Shelter, but codes would need to be enforced to utilize these facilities. This would be the most immediate solution possible. A second option would be to purchase T.A. Wilson Academy at 310 W. Morrell St. and utilize that building as a temporary housing facility with wraparound services. Work would need to be done to get it up to code and running consistently as a long-term solution, and could prove to be a hefty investment for the city.
The third option would be to work together with local landlords to find short-term, temporary housing for those in need.
“We’ve got people who are living under bridges, people who are sleeping and encamped on the streets,” says Mahoney. “We have an obligation as a community, as a city, to try to do something about that.”
Mayor Mahoney appears on “AM Jackson” with Greg O’Connor Wednesday mornings. If you have a question for the mayor, email greg@wkhm.com.
