*A City of Jackson spokesperson on Tuesday told FOX 47 News the cost for the ten pallet homes was approximately $150,000, or $15,000 per unit. The spokesperson said the higher cost he cited to FOX 47 News on Monday was incorrect. The text story has been updated to reflect this change.
- As temperatures drop, Jackson neighbors are asking: Where are the pallet houses the City of Jackson bought last winter to shelter the homeless?
- The City of Jackson bought ten of them at about [$15K*] each.
- Newly-elected Ward 5 City Council Member Christy Davis says they are currently in storage pending the sale of T.A. Wilson Academy to Residents in Action (RiA).
- The sale of the building has not yet closed, says Davis.
- RiA CEO Tashia Carter says the sale is taking longer than expected as RiA awaits an advance on its State grant.
- Carter expects the purchase to be completed by the end of February.
- WATCH THE VIDEO for a look at the pallet houses last year and comments from City Council Member Christy Davis, whose ward includes the former school building complex.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
These are pallet houses.
These temporary little houses provided shelter for some homeless people in Jackson last winter right here in the parking lot of the former TA Wilson Academy.
I'm your Jackson neighborhood reporter Darius Udrys, looking into why they're not here this winter.
The City of Jackson bought ten pallet houses last winter. City spokesperson Aaron Dimick confirms the total cost was [about $150,000*], or about [$15,000*] each.
Newly-elected City Council Member Christy Davis says the pallet houses are currently in storage — pending the sale of the former T.A. Wilson Academy complex.
"We have to have the sale go through of the T.A. Wilson Building to RiA to get the pallet houses up. And the pallet houses are going to be put up inside the T.A. Wilson Building," says Davis.
"RiA", or Residents in Action, is the organization that ran these mini-shelters last winter. It is currently running a 32-bed shelter in the Annex of the building at near capacity, with a waiting list of several dozen people.
RiA CEO Tashia Carter was not able to appear on camera, but she told me the pallet houses require a special ordinance to be used outdoors...and one has not been passed by the City Council for this winter.
We told you back in March about the City Council's decision to sell the former T.A. Wilson Academy complex to RiA for $150,000. That sale has not yet closed, says Council Member Davis.
"I wasn't on Council," notes Davis, "but I assumed by now everything would be finished, and the pallet houses would at least be up inside, so we could be housing more people."
Carter wrote to me that the sale is taking longer than expected because they're waiting for a grant to be advanced from the State of Michigan.
Carter says RiA will be able to close on the purchase by the end of February.
CHECK OUT OUR PREVIOUS COVERAGE OF THE SALE.
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