Police Social Services Coordinator Sally Viigezzi told the Macomb Equal Opportunity and Fair Housing Commission last week that she has identified 20 to 25 chronically unhoused people in the city.
'Some stay with friends for a while and then are back on the street,' she said. 'A lot of people ride the train and just end up here.'
Vigezzi said that another 23 people live in Genesis Garden shelters and that 21 adults and 16 children are staying in Samaritan Well shelters. She said the shelters are funded through grants and donations.
Summarizing 2025 housing and employment complaints and dispositions, City Administrator Scott Coker said three housing complaints were determined to be unfounded and one employment complaint was referred to a state agency where it was upheld.
'The hammer our commission carries is pretty small,' he said. 'Our maximum fine is $700. I refer people to state or federal agencies.'
Coker outlined the city's complaint-filing procedure: a form must be filled out, including contact information, also available on the city web page; the complainant is then interviewed by the city administrator and city attorney; most complaints are not actionable, any that are go to a thirdparty investigator. If found valid, the complaint goes to the city Affirmative Action officer (city administrator); if not resolved, the complaint goes to the commission for a final decision.
The city administrator followed up on a commission request to explain the role of the city rental inspector. Coker explained that person resigned last month and the city building inspector is temporarily filling both jobs. He said any inspections are complaint-driven, and the majority of rentals in Macomb are registered with the city. Coker said AirB&B locations are also expected to register with the city.
