Court orders the City of Lansing to provide real housing solutions, not displacement.
LANSING, MI — In a precedent-setting hearing today, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina made clear that residents of the Fallen Angels Encampment cannot simply be displaced without real housing solutions. The court affirmed that the City of Lansing has an obligation to ensure every resident is offered safe and appropriate housing, and until then, the camp must not be left without essential resources.
“This hearing wasn’t about ending homelessness with the bang of a gavel — it was about dignity, survival, and responsibility,” said Khadja Erickson, Executive Director of the Mid-Michigan Tenant Resource Center. “Judge Aquilina’s words acknowledge what we see every day: that criminalizing survival doesn’t solve the housing crisis. People need shelter, services, and stability, not bulldozers.”
During the hearing, service providers and advocates emphasized the urgent need for the encampment to remain resourced with sanitation, safety supplies, and outreach services until permanent housing is secured.
“This is precedent-setting,” added Erickson. “The court is telling the City it cannot wash its hands of responsibility. Housing has to come first. This is an opportunity to show real leadership and compassion.”
The Tenant Resource Center, along with community partners and legal advocates, will continue to monitor compliance and ensure residents are not left behind in bureaucratic delays. The Tenant Resource Center will be helping with document procurement, accessing rides to appointments and filling other gaps that prevent people from transitioning from homelessness to permanent housing. We will continue to organize alongside the Tenants of Fallen Angels.
About the Mid-Michigan Tenant Resource Center
The Mid-Michigan Tenant Resource Center provides Tenants with direct support, legal navigation, and community organizing tools to defend their rights and secure safe housing. From eviction defense to encampment advocacy, TRC builds tenant power across Lansing and beyond.
