On reducing homelessness and poverty

On March 1, City Pulse reported on the recent enforcement against occupied red-tagged properties in Lansing. These events highlight the housing crisis plaguing our community. Individuals and families are not only subjected to inadequate dwellings, but to sky-high rent payments, unattainable tenant requirements, and lack of access to housing assistance. In Ingham County, there are 512 individuals experiencing homelessness each night, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, with approximately 6% of these individuals being children.

However, there is hope. The expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit during the COVID-19 pandemic have proven effective at reducing homelessness and poverty. In fact, the CTC expansion lowered child poverty rates in 2021 by 46%. There is no question that help is needed, and there is no question that these expansions can provide the assistance necessary to better the lives of our community’s most vulnerable people and families. So, why is Congress still questioning if these expansions should be extended?

As a Fellow through RESULTS, an international organization advocating for anti-poverty measures, I urge community members, as well as state and local officials, to support these expansions. Congress must make the choice whether to extend a helping hand or to extend the issue. Your voice and your advocacy have the potential to make the decision for them — to truly make a tangible difference in the lives of those who are so often forgotten while living in plain sight.