HOLLAND, Mich. — In a West Michigan pole barn, six people experiencing homelessness have a place to stay in rows of Conestoga Huts.
Those living there pay a small rent, have access to electricity in the barn, and a porta potty. Each hut has a bed and a table, and a portable shower is in the works.
Holland Township, however, says that this will need to go.
"So I know how it is to be homeless and to be needy and not having any place to go. And then I saw a post that they were looking for a place for people to park that was safe," said Lolita Anaya, who received the notice from the township on Monday.
She allowed Pastor Watt and his ministry to use her property to provide temporary housing for the homeless, which he says is the first step for helping unhoused people off the street.
"The second thing on the job application is address. So if you don't have an address, you can't then get a job. So you want to go on to rehab? Do you need medical insurance? Second thing on the application of medical insurance is a billing address. So if you don't have a billing address, or address period, how can you ever get started on creating a new life for yourself if you're falling."
This is not the first time this project has had to relocate. It was moved off of two other properties in Holland Township. Watt says he is frustrated by what he describes as a lack of explanation from the township.
"We've been running into 'no's'. Explain to us what we need to do. Provide us with the necessary tools. We need to then do the right things the way they want us to do it. Provide land for us to put these huts on."
Corey Broersma, Community Development Director for the township says that the matter remains under investigation and that the subject is an agricultural building that cannot be a place of human habitation. Along with concerns over access to proper water, electric, ventilation, or sanitation facilities.
"The subject building is an agricultural building defined by the 2015 International Building Code (as adopted by the State of Michigan) as “A structure designed and constructed to house farm implements, hay, grain, poultry, livestock or other horticultural products. This structure shall not be a place of human habitation or a place of employment where agricultural products are processed, treated or packaged, nor shall it be a place used by the public."
He says this is also in addition to possible violations of zoning ordinances.
"Holland Charter Township Code of Ordinances, Appendix A Zoning, Section 8.3.A.4 indicates 'No accessory building or structure shall include residential or living quarters.' Further, the site’s industrial zoning would prohibit the establishment of any additional dwellings unless a State licensed agricultural labor camp on an active farm was established."
"Nobody can live in those because it's unsafe. Okay, if it is unsafe, fine, how can we make it safe? How can we do something so it can be safe? You know, I was even told that in this big huge pole barn, I can't even have those hot stored with no one living in them," said Anaya.
She also says that all those who live in the huts have full-time jobs, and need a temporary place to live until they can save for an apartment. Pastor Watt says that 12 individuals in four months who have temporarily lived in these huts have been able to get off the streets.
"For certain circumstances, rules have to be changed and bent so that we can help these people get on their feet and get an apartment. This is not gonna go away if we don't help."
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
