The community is coming together to alleviate homelessness and the City of Jackson is leading the way. At their Dec. 13 meeting, the Jackson City Council voted to allocate $10,000 in American Rescue Plan funds to provide hotel stays for homeless individuals and families. Two people are now staying in local hotels with this assistance. Those in need of a place to stay are encouraged to reach out to local organizations that work with the homeless population, such as the Interfaith Shelter, Jackson Housing Commission, TTI, Lifeways and the Jackson District Library. Those organizations will work with the City to get people in hotel rooms.
The City Council has been working out solutions to help housing instability after calls from residents and organizations to get involved in this issue. The funds for hotel stays was decided after it was determined a more immediate solution was needed to get people out of the cold. A special City Council meeting is planned on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 6:30 p.m. to further discuss long-term solutions.
City staff are also working to acquire winter gear to give to people in need. At the Dec. 13 meeting, the City Council allocated $3,000 to purchase winter gear for homeless residents.