KALAMAZOO, MI – The City of Kalamazoo is providing $1.2 million in COVID-19 assistance to create emergency shelters for families with children.
The funds have not yet been earmarked for a specific project, Community Development Manager Sharilyn Parsons said during the Kalamazoo City Commission meeting on Monday.
Parsons said it’s a creative way for the city to work with other local leaders like the City of Portage, Southwest Michigan First and Kalamazoo County to find solutions.
With family homelessness on the rise and the elimination of the voucher system, there is an immediate need for emergency shelter to prevent families with children from having to seek shelter in substandard housing, city documents say.
“I know that there are many questions from the public,” said Vice Mayor Jeanne Hess during the meeting on August 19. “The answers to these questions are simply not available yet.”
Although the city of Kalamazoo was the first to put money on the table, tackling the statewide housing crisis requires cooperation, Commissioner Stephanie Hoffman said.
“This is a very positive step because the broader community is recognizing that this is an issue,” said Mayor David Anderson. “I know the people of the city of Portage are at the table… I wouldn’t be surprised if there was strong support from the city and other agencies.”
The decision came on the heels of two events impacting residents across the county: an update from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and recently released Point-in-Time (PIT) count results.
Organized by the Kalamazoo County Continuum of Care program of the United Way of South Central Michigan, the PIT count takes place one evening during the last ten days of January each year and provides a “snapshot” of homelessness in the community on a given evening.
The results of the 2024 count show that on the night of January 23, 664 people were homeless in Kalamazoo County – a 13% increase from 2023.
According to the data, the largest increase was among families with children.
RELATED: Homeless population in Kalamazoo reaches 5-year high, annual count shows
In addition, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced on July 1 that it would close the waiting lists for Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) for the foreseeable future.
According to city documents, over 450 Kalamazoo individuals and families are on the waiting list for the federal program. New names cannot be added to the list, and those who have been on the list for several years cannot “reaffirm” their status to remain on the list.
“I hope we can get this done sooner rather than later because it is urgent,” said Commissioner Qianna Decker.
Since the city decided in February to use $1.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds to renovate Arcadia Creek Festival Place, it has received numerous requests to address homelessness.
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