by: John Clore | 3/3/2025 at 4:26 PM
Michigan is in crisis mode, and the numbers don’t lie. Crime is rising, homelessness is worsening, and the state’s leadership has failed to address these critical issues. Instead of tackling the root causes, lawmakers in Lansing are more focused on political theater, pushing regulations, and covering up their failures.
Meanwhile, Lansing itself is collapsing under the failed leadership of Mayor Andy Schor, with homelessness, crime, and urban decay reaching unprecedented levels.
Lansing: A City in Ruins
Lansing, Michigan’s capital, is falling apart—both literally and figuratively. The city is suffering from:
- A rising homeless crisis
- A surge in crime, including violent offenses and property damage
- Pothole-ridden streets that look like they belong in a third-world country
- Trash piling up everywhere due to nonexistent code enforcement
- Slumlords exploiting the housing crisis, allowing crime and drug activity to flourish
Homelessness: Up and Getting Worse
Lansing’s homeless population has exploded, mirroring statewide trends. In 2024, nearly 10,000 people in Michigan were without permanent housing, marking a 1,000-person increase from the previous year.
Yet Mayor Andy Schor and Governor Whitmer have done nothing to address the crisis, allowing tent cities to expand while taxpayer money mysteriously vanishes into failed government programs.
Lansing is Littered with Trash, and No One is Enforcing the Law
The city looks abandoned, with trash, debris, and filth piling up on streets, sidewalks, and in neighborhoods. Code enforcement is nonexistent, leaving Lansing residents to live among crumbling infrastructure and growing blight.
Slumlords are running rampant, buying up cheap properties and failing to vet residents, leading to drug houses, crime-infested neighborhoods, and deteriorating property values. Rather than holding these property owners accountable, city officials turn a blind eye, allowing entire neighborhoods to fall into disrepair.
Code Enforcement: A Missed Opportunity to Fund City Improvements
Effective code enforcement could serve as a dual solution by cleaning up the city and generating revenue for much-needed infrastructure repairs. By fining slumlords and negligent property owners for violations such as overloaded trash receptacles and poorly maintained properties, Lansing could raise substantial funds to address its crumbling roads and public spaces.
Estimating Potential Revenue from Code Enforcement Fines:
Number of Rental Properties: Lansing has a significant number of rental properties, with reports indicating that a substantial portion lack proper certification. lansingstatejournal.com
Violation Rates: Assuming that 20% of these properties are in violation of city codes related to property maintenance and waste management.
Average Fine: If each violation carries an average fine of $500.
Potential Annual Revenue: If 20% of 10,000 rental properties (i.e., 2,000 properties) are fined $500 each, the city could generate $1,000,000 annually.
This additional revenue could be allocated to:
Repairing pothole-ridden streets, such as those on Capitol Avenue, which currently resemble roads in a third-world country.
Enhancing waste management services to ensure cleaner neighborhoods.
Funding programs to support the homeless population, providing them with essential services and pathways to permanent housing.
However, this potential remains untapped due to Mayor Andy Schor’s lack of leadership and the failure of Ingham County commissioners and the Lansing City Council to implement and enforce these measures. Their inaction not only allows the city’s decline to continue but also misses an opportunity to generate funds that could revitalize Lansing.
Lansing’s Roads Look Like a War Zone
Lansing’s streets have become so bad that residents compare them to war-torn countries. Capitol Avenue, one of the city’s main roads, has gaping potholes and crumbling pavement, making Lansing look like an abandoned slum rather than the capital of a major U.S. state.
Despite millions in federal and state funding, the city continues to let its infrastructure rot while focusing on political distractions instead of fixing real problems.
Crime is Surging While Leaders Do Nothing
Along with homelessness, violent crime has continued to rise across Michigan, especially in cities like Detroit, Lansing, and Grand Rapids.
- Michigan’s overall violent crime rate is 461 per 100,000 people, which is 21 points higher than the national average.
- Homicides are up, with major cities seeing an increase in gun violence, assaults, and robberies.
- Defacing property and larceny rates have risen, causing financial strain on small businesses and homeowners.
Homicide Rates in Lansing:
- In 2024, Lansing recorded 11 homicides, matching the number from 2023. yahoo.com
Overall Crime Rates:
- Lansing’s total crime rate stands at 43 per 1,000 residents, placing it among the highest in the nation. Residents face a 1 in 23 chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime. neighborhoodscout.com
Violent Crime Details:
The violent crime rate is 14.17 per 1,000 residents, significantly higher than the national median of 4 per 1,000.
Murder: 0.11 per 1,000 residents
Rape: 1.01 per 1,000 residents
Robbery: 1.30 per 1,000 residentsneighborhoodscout.com
Assault: 11.76 per 1,000 residents
Property Crime Details:
The property crime rate is 28.56 per 1,000 residents, compared to the national median of 19 per 1,000.
Burglary: 5.11 per 1,000 residents
Theft: 15.89 per 1,000 residentsneighborhoodscout.com
Motor Vehicle Theft: 7.55 per 1,000 residentsneighborhoodscout.com
Despite these alarming numbers, city and state officials refuse to act, allowing criminals to run free while law-abiding citizens live in fear.
Failed Leadership: Where Are Governor Whitmer and Mayor Andy Schor?
Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Lansing’s Mayor Andy Schor have ignored these growing problems, despite being in power for years. Instead of addressing rising crime, homelessness, and urban decay, they have prioritized pet projects, government waste, and political grandstanding.
- Billions in federal funding have disappeared, with no improvements to housing, crime prevention, or road repairs.
- Soft-on-crime policies have emboldened criminals, making Lansing a dangerous, lawless city.
- No accountability for slumlords, allowing them to profit from Lansing’s collapse while its citizens suffer.
Andy Schor has completely failed Lansing, and Gretchen Whitmer has abandoned Michigan—leaving residents stuck in a crumbling, crime-ridden state with no leadership and no solutions.
Time for Action: Holding Lansing Accountable
The people of Michigan deserve better. We cannot allow our cities to be overrun with rising crime, out-of-control homelessness, and failed leadership.
What Needs to Happen Now?
✅ Demand Accountability – Where did all the money go? Michigan citizens need to pressure lawmakers to disclose how taxpayer dollars are being spent.
✅ Enforce the Law – Violent crime, property destruction, and slumlord negligence must have real consequences. Law enforcement needs support, not defunding.
✅ Cut Government Waste – Instead of pouring money into corrupt programs, funds should go toward actual solutions for homelessness, crime prevention, and city maintenance.
✅ Vote Out Corrupt Politicians – Whitmer, Schor, and their allies have failed Michigan. It’s time to elect leaders who will work to make these issues better.