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Do you live in the Eastside? Are you thinking of moving to the Eastside? ANC has the information you need to fix that leaky faucet or find you a good realtor, or find counseling for foreclosure.

Contents

Basic Home Resource Information

Find an Electrician, Plumber, Carpenter
We keep a list of neighbor-supported and endorsed handymen at the office. Please call us if you would like a referral to someone reliable for the job you need done.

Energy Preservation and Weatherization
One way to save money is to lower your utility bills by improving your home’s energy efficiency. There are programs that will help you pay for the cost of making energy-efficient home renovations. Contact us to find out about what programs you can get help from.

Dealing with Lead in Your Home
Lead is a toxic metal frequently present in old homes (1978 or earlier) in things like paint, flooring, and the dirt near the home. Lead is especially dangerous to children, as it can cause developmental disabilities. You can get financial help from the City of Lansing to replace paint, windows, doors, siding, and other parts of your home if they contain lead. Check out the Lead Safe Lansing website.

Flood Preparedness
Some parts of Lansing are at risk of flooding. See our flooding page for more about how to deal with possible flooding and to find out about flood insurance.

Emergency Home Repair Resources
For a printable version of these resource: Emergency Home Repair List 

Capital Area Community Services   517-393-1780
Services may include rental assistance and utility help.  Applicants must meet income guidelines.

City of Lansing Planning & Development Office     517-483-4040
Provides help with repairing homes or replacing items such as a furnace in case of an emergency.  Must own and occupy a single family home and meet income guidelines.

Department of Human Services (State of Emergency Relief) 517-887-9400
State Emergency Relief (SER) assists with home repairs to correct unsafe conditions and restore essential services. Eligible home repairs may include repair or replacement of a non-functioning furnace, hot water heaters or septic systems.

Habitat for Humanity   517-374-1313
Provides help with “fix-up” projects generally lasting one day.  Families must be income eligible.

Find Available Housing

Thinking of moving to the Eastside?

Rental Property Owners Association of Mid-Michigan (RPOAMM): The RPOAMM is a non-profit organization established with the purpose to bring together landlords and property managers in the Mid-Michigan area to offer opportunities for networking and support. They provide rental opportunities and workshops on topics of maintenance, law, and real estate.

Realtor.com: list of homes for sale in the 48912 ZIP code

Zillow: List of homes for rent in the 48912 ZIP code.

Ingham County Land Bank homes for sale: The Ingham County Land bank has affordable houses for sale and special programs to help interested home buyers. You can also explore this GIS map to see all of the Land Bank’s properties. (Note: You will need to install the free Microsoft Silverlight program to see the GIS map. Follow the instructions on the page.)

Capital Area Housing Partnership: Capital Area Housing Partnership develops affordable housing for qualified home buyers or owners with new construction, rehabilitated homes and home-owner rehabilitation programs. We also have down payment assistance programs to help facilitate income qualified families and individuals purchase a home.

Subsidized Housing: Low-income individuals and families may be eligible for subsidized rent.

Emergency Shelters

If you are in need of emergency shelter please contact the following service agencies for assistance:
Here is a printable version of these resources: Emergency Shelter List

Advent House  517-485-4722
Offers weekend daytime shelter and food for homeless population.  No documentation needed. Employment assistance is available for the homeless. GED prep is offered for anyone 18 or older.

American Red Cross Mid-Michigan Chapter 517-484-7461
The Emergency Food & Shelter Program assists homeless families and people living with disabilities with motel vouchers when public shelter is not available or appropriate. Some funding available for short-term homeless assistance for MSU students. Clients must have identification for themselves and other family members needing assistance.

AWARE (Jackson County)  517-783-2861
Short-term shelter services are available. Advocates work within that time to help survivors of sexual or domestic abuse and intimate partner violence with resources to function emotionally, economically and safely within the community once they have exited. Transitional housing and free counseling services are available.

Crossroads/Gateway Community Services  877-833-3689
Crossroads is a voluntary transitional living program for young people ages 16 through 21 who are unable to live at home. The goal of the program is to help youth prepare for independent and self-sufficient living. Services offered during the program include shelter, independent living skills training, counseling, case management, employment search, tutoring, health care, and residential assistance. Services are provided for Ingham, Eaton and Clinton County.

EVE (End Violent Encounters)  517-372-5572
EVE provides temporary safe housing, meals and personal care items for victims of domestic violence and their children. The shelter is a confidential and secure location.

Hannah House 517-482-5856
The purpose of Hannah’s House is to provide long-term shelter (no same day entrance), food, clothing assistance, classes, and mentoring to homeless pregnant women to help prepare moms to effectively raise a family. Admission to the program is determined after receipt of medical documentation of the pregnancy, a negative Drug of Abuse Panel, and a personal interview with the Director or House Manager. Email: Hannahhouselansing@gmail.com

Haven House  517-337-2731
Temporary emergency shelter for homeless families with children. There are 28 beds available on a first come first served basis. Residents are served 3 hot meals per day, and clothing is available. Other support services are available.

City Rescue Mission of Lansing  517-485-0145
This agency provides same day admittance services. Men and women with children are separated by shelter. Services sign up, are held at the Men’s shelter. One can sign up to receive personal needs items, assistance with clothing items, biblical counseling, and drug rehabilitation services. Meals are served for lunch Mon-Fri, sign up begins at 11-11:45am. Lunch is served promptly at noon. Dinner sign up is 6-6:45pm; meals are served at 7pm sharp. Doors close at the start of each meal.  Please be sure to bring an I.D. when signing up for services.

Loaves and Fishes  517-482-2099
This agency provides emergency overnight shelter for a maximum stay of 14 days a month with a total of 28 days a year. One can only apply to stay every 90 days once they completed their initial stay.  Extensions are awarded on a per case basis (up to another 14 days), for men, women and children.  Persons must have a photo ID.

New Hope Day Center/VOA  517-484-4414
Day shelter provided to men, women and children. Assistance and guidance with housing, employment and other issues.

RAVE (Relief Against Violent Encounters)   800-720-7233
Provides emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence, individual counseling, support groups for adults and children, advocacy services, housing location, referrals for batterers counseling.

Safe Center     877-952-7283
Emergency shelter, legal advocacy and ongoing support for victims of domestic and sexual violence in Shiawassee and Clinton Counties.

SIREN/Eaton Shelter (Charlotte)   517-543-4915
This is a homeless shelter for individuals and families and victims of domestic violence in Eaton County.  No documentation is needed. The is also a 24-hotline available please call 1-800-899-9997 if you need assistance with housing/shelter.

Housing Resources, Counseling and Foreclosure Prevention

If you need housing assistance please contact one of the following agencies:

Department of Human Services:
Relocation assistance may include providing money for rent, security deposits, and moving expenses for individuals and families.

Capital Area Housing Partnership: 517-332-4663
Capital Area Housing Partnership develops affordable housing for qualified home buyers or owners with new construction, rehabilitated homes and home-owner rehabilitation programs. We also have down payment assistance programs to help facilitate income qualified families and individuals purchase a home.

Housing Resource Center: 517-487-6051
Assist in assuring Lansing area residents decent, safe, and sanitary housing.  The programs have been designed to increase the self-sufficiency of renters and homeowners in their lifelong housing experiences and to provide a “safety net” of programs for emergency housing needs.

Salvation Army:  517-484-4424
Provides rent and utilities payment assistance, when such funds are available. Food and personal needs items may also be provided. Please call for more information.

Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA):  517-335-9885
MSHDA acts as a housing information hub for the state of Michigan, and provides information and help regarding all aspects of housing including foreclosure help, neighborhood revitalization, homeownership counseling, emergency assistance help and more.

Lansing Housing Commission: 517-487-6550
LHC provides qualified Lansing Residents with home ownership and rental housing assistance through work with local landlords and housing voucher programs. The organization also owns various housing units and can provide low-rental rate accommodations to single-family residents who qualify.

Opportunity Resource Fund Lansing: 517-372-6001
Formerly known as the Michigan Interfaith Trust Fund, this lending group offers various loans for small business and non-profit start-ups, real estate development, and some mortgage loans for selected areas of Michigan.

Michigan State University Housing Law Clinic: 517-432-6880
This clinic provides free legal help to residents of Ingham County in all areas of housing, including help with rental housing as well. MSU Law Clinic is active only during the university school year. For more information please call or visit their website.

Ingham County Land Bank:  517-267-5221
Works with foreclosed, unclaimed and/or otherwise donated land through buy, renovating, and re-selling unwanted or neglected properties to low income and first-time home-buyers. The Land Bank offers leasing options, home-owner renovation incentives through the PROP Program, and plots for community gardens.

Foreclosure Prevention

If you need foreclosure prevention assistance, you can visit Hold On To Your Home, a website sponsored by the City of Lansing and the Ingham County Treasurer’s Office. For updates of MSHDA’s “Save the Dream”, please call their hotline at 1-866-946-7432.

Beware of Predatory Lending

You don’t have to have good credit to be flooded with offers for new credit cards, loan consolidations, and other financial schemes on a daily basis. Here are some of the most common predatory lending scenarios that we see on the Eastside:

Land Contracts: A land contract is a written legal contract, or agreement, used to purchase real estate. A land contract is a form of  seller financing. It is similar to a mortgage, but rather than borrowing money from a lender or bank to buy real estate, the buyer makes payments to the real estate owner, or seller, until the purchase price is paid in full. The seller does not receive the full purchase price up front, like the seller would if the buyer used a mortgage or paid all cash. That is why the seller may be able to negotiate a higher purchase price on the property by offering a sale by land contract. The seller may also require and receive a large cash down payment. If the buyer defaults on the land contract, or fails to make the monthly payments to the seller as required, the seller can file a court action called land contract forfeiture. Forfeiture will result in the buyer “forfeiting,” or giving up, all money paid to the seller for the property pursuant to the land contract and the equitable title of the buyer will be extinguished. In other words, if the buyer fails to pay, the seller keeps all money received, plus the seller keeps the real estate.

Payday loans: There are a large number of payday loan businesses in Lansing. These businesses advance or loan money to families struggling to pay the bills until the next paycheck. However, the terms of the loans can include very large fees and interest rates between 391% – 443%. According to the Center for Responsible Lending, if a borrower gets a loan for $325, they can expect to pay back $793. Every year, payday loans cost American families $4.2 billion in excess fees and high interest rates.

Mortgages: Adjustable Rate Mortgages, or ARMS, are largely to blame for the skyrocketing number of people losing their homes. These can be dangerous mortgages. With an ARM loan, borrowers start with a very low monthly payment that will increase significantly after a set period of time (typically 2 to 3 years). In many instances, lenders don’t explain what the terms of the loan really mean, and people are surprised when their interest rates increase and their monthly payments become unpayable.

Avoid losing your home or money to a predatory lender:

  • If you are thinking about buying a house or refinancing talk to a certified housing counselor. Contact the Allen Neighborhood Center and we can put you in touch with one.
  • Ask questions and don’t sign anything you don’t understand.
  • Start a savings or checking account at a bank or credit union. This will allow you to cash your checks for free and begin building savings.
  • Contact your state legislator and encourage them to support an anti-predatory lending law. A recent study has found that states with anti-predatory legislation have reduced these types of loans by almost 33%.
  • If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

If you think you are being targeted by predatory lenders, you can contact your local office of consumer affairs, or an approved credit counseling agency.