KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Kalamazoo County board has agreed to spend $100,000 more on emergency winter shelters for the homeless, knowing that sum may not be enough.
The county, the city of Kalamazoo, and the Continuum of Care have already allocated over $700,000 this winter, but they continue to get calls daily from the homeless who can’t find a warm place to sleep.
Deputy housing director Willa DiTaranto gave the board the latest count last night and it shows a sizable number of people without shelter.
“On the current waiting list there are 857 individuals and families,” she said. “Out of that, there’s 147 families that are currently unsheltered out of 293 total unsheltered.”
County board chair Jen Strebs says she has learned that the Ministry for Community, which contracted to provide 91 overnight beds through March, has been making room for 160, not wanting to turn anyone away.
“We can see the numbers that we see lifted out there today on the streets of our community, people struggling, people’s health impacted.”
The board was given three options and chose to allocate the additional $100,000 from the housing millage to Hope Through Navigation, which has two vacant homes that can keep family members together, as soon as they can set up bunk beds.
“We said 24, that’s better because of staff’s ratio, and people wouldn’t be so crammed into each other, so I would say 12 and 12 to be safe,” said Hope Through Navigation CEO Gwendolyn Hooker.
The Gospel Mission could make up to 60 beds available, but only for single adults.
Commissioner John Gisler felt the Gospel Mission should get the money.
“You may not like some of the things that you would be required to participate in when you go in there, but they got 60 beds I understand, and you can put people in there tonight.”
But the Christian shelter wanted more money and other commissioners felt it’s not the kind of sheltering they want or need.
Strebs urged the commission and staff to also look for other strategies to further close the gap for those still waiting for a shelter bed.
The county had hoped to have The Landing, their large transitional family shelter, operating by now, but construction delays have slowed that project.
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