BELLAIRE, MI -- UPDATE: A night after we told you the story of Marion Horner, the homeless 76-year-old woman who has lived in a tent for the past three weeks with her granddaughter and her husband, the family believes they've found an apartment in Central Lake.
They said they've had several of our viewers offer help and now they're working on finalizing details for an apartment they found Tuesday.
Antrim County Commission on Aging Director Mike Neubecker says his office has received an outpouring of people wanting to help from across the state.
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A startling picture tonight of the homeless problem in our country and Northern Michigan.
A 76 year-old women and her family forced to live in a tent.
"It’s home, it's home for now, I’m not proud of it, but I have my grandma and I have my husband, and that's all that matters," said an emotional Melissa Sattler.
Marion Horner lost her husband in 1996 and for more than 14 years, struggled to make her house payment and still pay for the medicine she needed to stay alive.
In May, the money ran out.
Her house was foreclosed on and she had to find a new place to call home.
For the family, it came to a decision. Pay the house bill or pay for grandma's medicine. They chose what was best for grandma's welfare.
“I wanted to spend my last time there so we got our blankets and stuff and we slept on the floor, and I spent my last night in my house," said now-homeless Marion Horner.
Marion checked herself out of the hospital despite her doctor's plea just to sleep in her home one more time in May of this year. The bank has since put it up for sale. Lot number four at Craven Park Campground, in a two-room tent, is where 76-year-old Marion now sleeps
“This is my first time being camping, and I’m enjoying it," she says.
Marion sleeps this side of the tent, her granddaughter Melissa sleeps on the other side, next to her husband Bruce, who sleeps on the ground. Rent is $10 a day.
"We keep telling ourselves we're on family vacation, that's all we do to get by is we're on a family vacation, I never wanted grandma to be here," said Sattler.
Bruce and Melissa lost their jobs a little before their grandma's home was foreclosed on and have been with their grandma ever since.
“The medicine, I have to have, so it was a choice of making the, buying the medicine, or make a house payment," said Marion.
This is an issue that is affecting more than just Marion.
In 2010, 720 people 65 and older were homeless in the state. The Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness blames poverty, lack of affordable housing, and the costs associated with owning a home.
Of those 720 people, 79 have other family members in their care, but maybe most troubling, 641 people, 65 and older, are living without a home completely on their own.
Antrim County Commission on Aging Director Mike Neubecker says he wants to help.
“I really want to work with different agencies to get her moving back towards where her and her two grandchildren aren't living, you know, in a canvas hut basically," said Neubecker.
“It can only get better from here, we're at rock bottom now, so it's got to get better somehow," said Sattler.
And even as I was leaving, grandma reassured me everything was going to be ok, because she has her granddaughter and her grandson-in-law.
Marion says she's looking for a place to rent for about $600 a month.
It needs to be pet-friendly and have two rooms for her and her grandchildren.
If you can help, contact Andrew Keller at akeller@upnorthlive.com for contact information.
