Housing Insecurity / Families Overcoming Rough Times Program (F.O.R.T.)
The Families Overcoming Rough Times (F.O.R.T.) Program assists Lansing School District students who are living in temporary or inadequate living situations.
The F.O.R.T. Program assists qualified students with:
- Transportation to and from school from wherever the student is living
- Clothing necessary for the child to attend and participate in school
- Personal hygiene items and school supplies
- Cap and gown to participate in graduation commencement
- Enrollment within 24 hours, without required documentation if unavailable
- Many other needs so that the student may fully participate and achieve at school.
If you or someone you know has children who attend school with the Lansing School District and are having difficulty maintaining a permanent and adequate residence due to:
- Foreclosure
- Eviction or being asked to leave
- Safety concerns
- Housing code violation red tags
- Guardianship or suitable home placement
- House fire
- Natural disasters
- Any other situation beyond their control
and are living with another family, shelter, motel, car, campground, or other place not meant for a person to live in permanently within the last 6 months, they may qualify.
Fill out this form or call Rose Taphouse, Lansing School District Homeless Coordinator, at 517-755-2813 for assistance.
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act ensures educational rights for children and youth experiencing homelessness. The primary goal is educational stability.
The Act defines homeless students as those who:
1. Lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence;
2. Share the housing of other persons, live in motels, hotels, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternate adequate accommodations; live in emergency or transitional shelters;
3. Have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings;
4. Live in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings;
Homeless students have certain educational rights and can: enroll without delay in school (zoned or schools of origin) without proof of residency or permanent address, immunization, school records, or other documents or while documentation is being obtained; choose between the local school where they are living or the school last attended before becoming homeless; when requested by the parent/guardian and determined by the district to be feasible and in the students best interest; attend school and participate in school programs with children who are not homeless; and receive all school services available to other students including transportation services, special education services where applicable, and other supportive services (food, housing, clothing, etc.).
