LANSING, MI — Community members gathered on April 29 for a public housewarming event at The Nest, Lansing’s new day-to-night homeless shelter and resource center, offering residents a first look inside the newly renovated facility ahead of its official opening.
Located at 332 Townsend St. in downtown Lansing, near Reutter Park and the Capital Area District Library’s downtown branch, the event invited visitors to tour the space, meet the team behind the project, and learn more about the services The Nest was created to provide.
The facility, which will officially welcome participants on May 4, was designed as the region’s only location offering both overnight shelter and comprehensive daytime services in a single centralized space. The Nest includes 56 beds and focuses on serving populations often overlooked in traditional shelter systems, including veterans, single fathers, and families with teens.
In addition to overnight accommodations, The Nest’s day center and resource hub was developed to provide meals, housing assistance, medical care, mail access, laundry services, and other essential resources for hundreds of individuals experiencing homelessness.
“Over just eight months, we’ve worked tirelessly toward The Nest’s opening day. We are honored to invite the community to tour the space,” said Shelbi Frayer, founder and CEO of The Nest. “The Nest represents what’s possible when people come together around a shared belief: that everyone deserves a positive place to land and the opportunity to move forward.”
The opening came during a critical time for the Lansing region, where more than 850 individuals in Ingham County experience homelessness on any given night, according to federal housing data. The recent closure of Holy Cross Services’ New Hope Community Center further underscored the growing need for expanded shelter and daytime support services.
As operations begin, The Nest continues seeking community contributions to help sustain programming, expand access, and support day-to-day services. Naming opportunities also remain available for those interested in supporting the organization’s long-term mission.
For more information or to contribute, visit thelansingnest.org/donate.
Photo of the common area.
