LANSING, Mich., April 29, 2025 — State Rep. Kara Hope (D-Holt) continues to work for all Michiganders. Her priorities are reflected in budget requests that would serve children, seniors and thousands of others in south Lansing, Holt and throughout the state.

“I am working for a budget that prioritizes basic needs, supports our youth and invests in programs that prevent crime,” Hope said. “While out-of-touch Republicans in Lansing and D.C. are taking a chainsaw to critical services like Head Start and Meals on Wheels, my colleagues and I are working to make sure essential programs and projects can continue.”

The following budget requests were submitted by Hope:

  • $10 million for home-delivered meals and other in-home services for seniors and those with disabilities in Greater Lansing and throughout Michigan.
  • $5.2 million for the Lansing School District to expand the Lansing Student Development Program with renovations to the Don Johnson Field House. This program offers free, year-round access to crucial academic resources, mentoring and free meals.
  • $2 million for the Ingham County Health Department to support Advance Peace, a gun-violence prevention initiative. Also known as a “community violence intervention,” Advance Peace first came to Lansing in 2021. Since then, this public-health program has grown while demonstrating results: gun-violence injuries and deaths have decreased in Lansing.
  • $950,000 for Capital Area Community Services, Inc. Head Start to implement federally required pay raises for their teachers.
  • $550,000 for Child and Family Charities to create and operate a drop-in and educational center for vulnerable young people in Greater Lansing.
  • $2.5 million for Nation Outside to support and expand its Trauma-Informed Peer-Led Reentry program. This program is a first-of-its-kind initiative in Michigan that helps ease the often difficult transition from prison to life after incarceration.
  • $10 million for the Lansing Board of Water and Light to replace aging steam infrastructure with a more efficient, reliable and environmentally sustainable hot-water utility for LBWL customers, including the State of Michigan and Lansing Community College, among others. This investment is expected to help reduce energy costs for taxpayers.
  • $1.5 million for the Ingham County Road Department to fix College Road between Holt Road and Sandhill Road. This is a critical corridor connecting Delhi Township and the Mason area with Lansing and the Michigan State University campus.

“There is a lot of uncertainty right now, and government budgets are no exception,” Hope said. “But I will do everything I can to minimize the pain, especially for kids, seniors and others who live paycheck to paycheck.”

House Members’ Legislatively Directed Spending Forms containing their appropriations requests can be found here.

 ###