Funeral services are set for later this week for the two children who seemingly died from freezing in a garage at a Detroit casino. 

Last week, the children and other relatives were resting in a van situated on the ninth level of the parking garage at Greektown's Hollywood Casino. The engine ceased functioning overnight, causing the van to become quite chilly. 

A nine-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl ceased to breathe. A family friend transported both to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan. They were declared dead at the hospital. 

All three remaining children in the van needed medical care at the hospital. 

The services for the two children will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday at Triumph Church in Detroit. The McFall Brothers Funeral Home will provide their services for free.

"As the community mourns this heartbreaking loss, the overwhelming outpouring of love and support deeply touches the family. At this time, they kindly request privacy as they navigate this unimaginable grief,” the funeral home said in a recent statement.

The event started after the family was removed from their home. According to the Detroit Free Press, a mother, her four kids, their grandmother, and the grandmother's child started residing in the van. 

Several months prior to the tragedy, the 29-year-old woman reached out to Detroit’s homeless response team in November. She reached out to the city's homeless team twice prior to November. No provisions were established to place the family in housing or even a shelter. The woman reached out to several shelters, but the staff continuously informed her that there were no accommodations available. 

Detroit's Deputy Mayor Melia Howard stated that city officials are currently focused on securing housing for the family.

"We are hopeful that we will have them settled into a safe and comfortable home by this weekend,” Howard said in a statement that was released on Thursday.

City Evaluating Occurrence 

Detroit officials are examining the events that occurred and will seek to prevent a similar situation from happening again. 

A report is anticipated by the month's conclusion. 

However, the tragedy has captured immense attention, spurred anger, and has even turned into a topic in the city’s mayoral campaign. 

Candidate Offers Solutions

One person running for mayor, Saunteel Jenkins, recently wrote on the BridgeDetroit website, “I know we’re all asking, ‘How did this happen?’ Now is not the time for placing blame; it’s the time to find solutions together.”

"That mom moved from casino garage to casino garage while living in the car for months to keep her five children safe. They reached out three times to the city of Detroit for help and there were no solutions offered. That is unacceptable on every level,” Jenkins said.

Numerous poor practices exist. She notes that Detroit’s hotline for the homeless closes at 6 p.m. during the week and operates for just three hours on weekends. “We should immediately adopt a 24/7 hotline during dangerous winter months,” Jenkins said.

But she also cautions there simply “aren’t enough beds most nights to shelter one person, let alone a family of six.”

“A mother of five should not have to make the ungodly choice of a shelter bed for one night (if available) or having enough gas to sleep overnight in a parking garage in the dead of winter,” Jenkins said.

Among the steps Jenkins says that can be taken are:

• Hire more outreach workers to guide those without housing to shelters and services.
• Set up more beds for homeless families and provide more services for those with emotional illness.
• More temporary housing needs to open so families can remain together and children can go to school until the household finds a permanent home.
• More affordable housing is needed in the long term, too.

"My heart breaks for this mother and the trauma she has faced,” Jenkins said. “Let’s make sure she isn’t further traumatized by a continued lack of support and services.”