Marquette Homeless Shelter Exceeded Capacity During Winter, Director Says 25 People Sheltered Beyond Limits

A Shelter That Could Not Hold Enough

The Room at the Inn in Marquette sheltered an additional 25 homeless people beyond its capacity during the winter months of January through March 2026.

Chelsea Wilkinson is executive director of the Marquette shelter. She said the group ended up caring for people who would have otherwise faced extreme conditions outdoors.

They sheltered an additional about 25 people over the last three months beyond our capacity at our regular shelter because we were really concerned about them succumbing to the elements, Wilkinson said.

A Warning From The Cold

Wilkinson called the overcapacity situation a canary in a cold mine.

She said her street outreach program found many more people than the shelter could theoretically hold during the cold snap. Many were in unsafe conditions.

They were sleeping in their cars or their campers, or maybe they were in an abandoned building somewhere or a camp, maybe a place that does not have any electric or running water, Wilkinson said.

Costs That Skyrocketed

The shelter faces rising expenses as well.

Wilkinson said her shelters own expenses have skyrocketed with utility bills going from 1,800 dollars a month in 2023 to about 4,000 dollars today.

She said the group had to exceed its capacity during the cold snap in Michigans Upper Peninsula in January and February this winter. Sub-zero temperatures caused a surge of homeless people seeking shelter at the facility.

A Crisis That Could Grow Worse

Wilkinson said there is more to be alarmed about than cold weather. She said things could get worse for the homeless population in the region.

The folks that were barely making it before are well over the cliff, she said.

She said people are unable to make ends meet themselves. Everyone is feeling the increase of the cost of housing, of the rising cost of food, the rising cost of gas.

Uncertainty About Federal Funding

Adding to the worries, it is not clear if the Trump administration will renew the federal Continuum of Care program. The program pays for the staff members on the street outreach team.

Wilkinson said her group ended up sheltering an additional about 25 people over the last three months beyond capacity at their regular shelter. She said they were really concerned about these individuals succumbing to the elements.

Outreach That Is Getting Harder

Street outreach workers try to help homeless people take inventory of their social safety net. They see if there are any friends or family that would take someone in for a week. This buys time to figure out a solution for them.

But that is getting harder and harder to do, Wilkinson said.

She said the crescendo of things happening is weakening people abilities to survive. Rising costs for housing, food, and gas are affecting everyone in the Marquette area.

The Human Element

A street outreach worker stands on a snow drift to clear a doorway to one of the groups family shelters in Marquette, Michigan in March 2026. The Room at the Inn is one of only a handful of shelters in the Upper Peninsula.

The group found many more people than they could theoretically shelter during the cold snap. Wilkinson said they ended up caring for people who were in unsafe conditions.

They were sleeping in their cars or their campers or in abandoned buildings, Wilkinson said. Some were in camps without electric or running water.

A Shelter That Could Not Hold Enough

The shelter is one of only a handful in the Upper Peninsula. The cold snap in January and February caused a surge of homeless people seeking shelter there.

The Room at the Inn staff sheltered an additional 25 people over the last three months beyond their capacity. Wilkinson said they were really concerned about these individuals succumbing to the elements.

She said the folks that were barely making it before are well over the cliff now. People are unable to make ends meet themselves.

Everyone is feeling the increase of the cost of housing, of the rising cost of food, the rising cost of gas. There is a crescendo of things that are happening that are weakening people abilities to survive, Wilkinson said.

Sources cited: Michigan Advance article from May 2026 covering Room at the Inn shelter capacity issues in Marquette.