As part of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Michigan Movement and the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County hosted a Campus Homelessness Awareness Day on the Diag at the University of Michigan on Tuesday to educate students on homelessness in Washtenaw County.
LSA sophomore Marissa Ernst, a member of Michigan Movement, a student-run nonprofit organization that aims to provide aid to individuals in the community experiencing homelessness, explained Tuesday’s event worked to raise awareness around issues students might feel distant from.
“We’re trying to raise awareness for hunger and homelessness week because it’s a lot bigger of an issue in Ann Arbor than people really realize when they get distracted by student life,” Ernst said.
On Jan. 31, 2018, homeless service providers surveyed people in Washtenaw County experiencing homelessness as part of the Housing and Urban Development-mandated Point-In-Time count. They found homelessness is down nearly 25 percent since 2015, but nearly 300 people still experience homelessness in the county. Forty-five of those experiencing homelessness are under the age of 18, and 73 families are homeless.
In Michigan, over 9,000 people experience homelessness, and this number extends to more than 500,000 people in the United States. When looking at demographics of homelessness in Washtenaw County, the survey found African Americans are disproportionately more likely to experience homelessness. African Americans make up 13 percent of the county’s population, but total 48 percent in the homeless population. In 2016, a report showed 342 people experienced homelessness in Washtenaw County.
Tuesday’s event also provided information for students on how to get involved with organizations working to combat the issue of homelessness in the community. Local organizations listed include The Delonis Center, Groundcover News, Washtenaw Housing Alliance, Ozone House, Avalon Housing and Food Gatherers. On-campus organizations include Maize ‘N Blue Cupboard, Michigan Affordability and Advocacy Coalition, UMSFP and Michigan Movement.