A non-profit organization in Chippewa County has announced their plans to try and build a homeless shelter in Sault Sainte Marie.
The Chippewa Luce Mackinac Community Action Agency has been helping to support its low income communities in Chippewa, Luce and Mackinac County since its founding in 1965.
The organization currently relies on partnerships with local hotels and motels to help provide shelter for unhoused people.
Last year, the organization reported helping more than 125 people and families find shelter through their partnerships. However, they say they want to move toward being more self-reliant.
The executive director of CLM Community Action Agency, Joe Nolan, says the community’s biggest need is housing, especially during the cold winters.
“This is the worst place to be homeless in because of how cold it is up here… I can’t even walk to my car in the winter without freezing or letting it warm up. And there’s people out there that are trying to sleep in this,” he said.
Nolan said that the organization is currently applying for a nonprofit grant for the shelter. In the meantime, he said that the organization will continue to provide its current services to help those in need get back on their feet.
