THE CAST OF EVERY HOUSING CRISIS: Marquette and Beyond...
- Search Marquette
- 13 minutes ago
- 4 min read
A Story of the Crowds Who Shape the Outcome of Our Local Homeless (For Better or Worse)
Homelessness doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It exists in a neighborhood of reactions, each crowd with their own story, their own blind spots, and their own repeating lines.
Here are the characters that show up — in Marquette County and everywhere else — whenever the topic of housing or compassion arises.
1. The “NOT IN MY BACKYARD” Crowd
(Protectors of the Status Quo)
They say:
“We support helping the homeless… but not here.”
This crowd loves the idea of solutions — somewhere far away, invisible, theoretical. They don’t hate homeless people. They hate proximity. They fear:
property values dropping
“undesirable traffic”
noise
change
losing control of their pristine quiet bubble
So they show up to city meetings, not with pitchforks but with “concerns” and “studies.” They call for “more research” and “better locations.”
Every meeting ends the same:
They delay.
They stall.
They push solutions across county lines.
And winter keeps coming anyway.
They win if nothing happens.
2. The “NOT ON MY DOLLAR” Crowd
(Accountants of Compassion)
They say:
“I shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s problems.”
This crowd isn’t evil; they’re anxious.They imagine every dollar toward housing as a dollar taken from their paycheck.
They don’t know:
emergency room care for unhoused people costs taxpayers far more
police response to homelessness costs far more
jail and crisis interventions cost far more
Housing First actually saves 30–60% of public money
They don’t see the economics — they see an invoice.
They picture their taxes feeding an endless pit instead of a structured solution.
They win if everything is privatized and nothing systemic ever forms.
3. The “JUST DON’T LOOK AT IT” Crowd
(Masters of Selective Vision)
They aren’t loud. They aren’t online. They aren’t angry.
They just… avert their gaze.
When someone is sleeping behind a dumpster, they look at their phone. When someone is panhandling at the bypass exit, they adjust the radio. When someone asks for help, they say “Sorry” and keep walking.
They aren’t bad people — they’re overwhelmed.
But invisibility is fuel for inaction.
They win if silence becomes the norm.
4. The “JUST BOOTSTRAP THEM” Crowd
(The Myth-Makers)
They say:
“They need to work harder.” “They’re just lazy.” “They put themselves there.”
This is the simplified American story —one that ignores:
medical bankruptcy
mental illness
domestic violence
impossible rental prices
generational poverty
addiction as a medical condition
waiting lists months long
wage-to-rent mismatches
lack of support after crisis
They cling to the myth that life is fair, because admitting otherwise means confronting an uncomfortable reality: people fall through cracks that shouldn’t exist.
They win if homelessness remains an individual failing instead of a structural one.
5. The “POST ABOUT IT BUT DO NOTHING” Crowd
(The Virtue Signalers)
They post:
❤️ “Sending prayers”🙏 “This is so sad”😭 “Someone should help”
They share awareness but don’t take actions like:
donating supplies
helping shelters
volunteering
contacting officials
redirecting consumer spending to local causes
using platforms like SearchMarquette to generate revenue
Their hearts are good, but their effort ends at the keyboard.
They win if compassion stays digital.
6. The “THIS IS SOMEONE ELSE’S JOB” Crowd
(The Passers of Responsibility)
They say:
“That’s the church’s job.”
“That’s the city’s job.”
“That’s the police’s job.”
“That’s the nonprofits’ job.”
“That’s the county’s job.”
“That’s the state’s job.”
They are technically correct — but in the same way that pointing at a fire hydrant doesn’t put out the fire.
They don’t realize: everyone’s job becomes no one’s job when everyone points elsewhere.
They win if the system remains frozen.
7. The “WE HAVE MORE IMPORTANT PRIORITIES” Crowd
(The Agenda Guardians)
They aren’t against helping people — they’re just busy solving everything except homelessness.
Their lists include:
downtown beautification
tourism promotion
trail expansion
bike events
hockey arenas
parks
marketing campaigns
boutique developments
grant-funded publicity projects
All good things! But homeless individuals are always ranked “Last 'but not least'.”
They win if the city looks beautiful while its people suffer in the shadows.
8. The “HELP THEM BUT FAR AWAY” Crowd
(The Relocators)
They support shelters…just not near businesses or restaurants or neighborhoods or schools or trailheads or parking.
Every location is the wrong location.
They propose:
“Why not put it outside of town?Somewhere rural.Somewhere quiet.Somewhere far.”
Put people miles away from transportation, jobs, food, and services. Because out of sight = out of mind.
They win if invisibility becomes policy.
9. The “IF I IGNORE IT LONG ENOUGH, IT’LL FIX ITSELF” Crowd
(The Wishful Thinkers)**
They believe the economy will handle it. Or nonprofits. Or charity. Or time.
They think:
“Things are getting better.”
“People will figure it out.”
“It’s not as bad as it used to be.”
“It’ll resolve naturally.”
But winters don’t care about optimism.
They win if the freeze arrives before the solution does.
10. The “DO SOMETHING REAL” Crowd
(The Quiet, Effective, Underrated Heroes)**
These aren’t the loud ones. They aren’t the complainers. They aren’t the debaters.
They are the doers, and they include:
the person who drops off socks
the person who pays for a motel room
the person who volunteers a few hours a month
the person who donates supplies
the person who shows up at meetings
the person who offers their skills
the person who uses SearchMarquette to help generate funds pledged.
the person who writes checks quietly
the person who helps someone directly
the person who treats people like people
They win only if enough people join them.
THE ENDING (THE PART THAT’S STILL BEING WRITTEN)
Every winter in Marquette County writes a new chapter.
And every crowd plays its part.
Homelessness isn’t caused by one villain —it is caused by many small, quiet forces pushing in the same direction:
Delay. Deferral. Deflection. Denial. Distance.
The solution comes from the opposite forces:
Action. Compassion. Courage. Proximity. Responsibility. Accountability.
Which crowd a community chooses to amplify determines whether people freeze in the dark or finds shelter in the light.
