KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Kalamazoo County may join a partnership once again this year to help fund emergency shelter for the homeless this winter, following news that the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission will be limiting its emergency beds.
The downtown mission has announced that it will limit emergency beds to 140, beginning in October, to protect the safety of those they are sheltering and their staff.
County commissioners supported allocating nearly $400,000 in unspent COVID-19 funding to the Continuum of Care, which partnered with the city last year to fund emergency hotel stays for the homeless.
They are getting an earlier start on planning this year.
County Administrator Kevin Catlin says the city of Kalamazoo plans to provide over $300,000.
“The CoC also has funding as well available through HUD grants so we’re hopeful that by approaching this as early as we are we’ll be able to prepare some of these nonprofits to be able to step up and help out.”
Catlin adds the emergency funding could be used in several ways.
“Day sheltering, overnight sheltering, code blue sheltering which is the extreme weather sheltering and then also shelter access coordination in connection with this.”
Last year it was a volunteer effort done in response to the harsher than expected weather. Board chair Jen Strebs believes this year it will be done through a bid process.
“Heads in Beds did some emergency hoteling and servicing last winter, they certainly are probably an interested party that will come forward with a request, others may also.”
The $400,000 had originally been set aside for a housing program sponsored by the Young Kings and Queens program. When that fell through it was briefly recommended to fix plumbing at the Kalamazoo County Health Department.
Commissioner Tammy Ray objected, saying it should be spent for its original intention.
Vice chair John Taylor says this is a much better us for the money.
“Yeah I’m a big big proponent of utilizing these dollars in this way I think we get the most bang for our buck.”
It’s one of several funding decisions the Kalamazoo County board will be asked to make over the next couple of months as their 2026 budget is considered.
Catlin says they have other resources they can dip into to fix their plumbing problem.
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