Kalamazoo County officials detailed progress on the Keys to Kalamazoo housing framework and debated funding for next winter’s emergency shelter season.
Housing Director Mary Balkema and Deputy Director Willa DiTaranto updated commissioners on initiatives funded by the county’s $23.3 million investment in the framework, of which roughly a third has been received so far. The Landing Place, the state’s largest family shelter, opened in May and was housing 48 families and more than 150 children as of mid-June, funded by $11 million in operations support over three years and $700,000 in construction financing. The county’s shelter coordination contract with Housing Resources Inc. runs through July 31 while a longer-term agreement is developed, and a $300,000 contract for a strategic and implementation plan for the housing framework is expected to come before the board in August, following review of four submitted proposals.. A $7.2 million voucher pilot program is also getting underway, targeting a late-2026 start for project-based vouchers tied to millage-funded developments.
Separately, the board opened discussion on funding for the 2026-27 Winter Solutions program, which supplements year-round shelter capacity during high-demand winter months. Last year’s effort combined ARPA and housing millage dollars, but ARPA funding has since run out. Commissioners were divided on how to proceed: Vice Chair John Taylor said he could not support treating winter shelter as an ongoing emergency appropriation without a formal budget process, while Commissioner Tami Rey argued the need for single adults remains significant. No decision was made; commissioners are aiming to settle on a funding amount, and a funding source before their next meeting.
