Remember how, a few months ago, a bunch of us got up in arms over plans hatched by the Ann Arbor DDA to hire a small army of Segway-riding “ambassadors” to cheerfully open doors for well-healed visitors, remove unsightly band flyers from telephone poles, and shoo away “street people” who might otherwise interfere with commerce […]
Tag Archives: homeless
When “shooing away” doesn’t work… Or why we were right to stop the Ann Arbor “ambassador” program
How do we deal with the homeless in Ann Arbor? Easy, hire greeters on Segways to shoo them away… Introducing Ann Arbor’s new “Ambassador” program
A few days ago, in a post about the increasing number of economic refugees making their way from Ann Arbor to Ypsilanti, I noted a new program being considered by the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority (DDA) that would put a small army of paid “ambassadors” on the streets of tree town, opening doors for […]
Increasing options for our neighbors without either heat or shelter
On Saturday I posted something here about the plight of the homeless during this week’s polar vortex, which, as I understand it, has brought temperatures near levels not experienced in the region since the 1880s. My intention had been to share a comprehensive list of resources available to those in our community who were without […]
Does Washtenaw County have sufficient infrastructure to keep people warm this weekend?
With yet another huge winter storm system headed our way, and temperatures expected to reach well below 0 °F by the end of this weekend, I reached out to several people who work with Washtenaw County’s homeless population, asking a relatively simple question…. “Do we have warming center capacity in the Ypsi-Arbor area sufficient to […]