KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — Supporters of a campaign that’s being called “Vote Yes for Kids” kicked off their efforts this week in Kalamazoo, with the group asking voters to pass a millage to expand a program for homeless families.
If approved, the bump would be one-tenth of a mill, or about $5 annually on a $100,000 home. It will expand a program that takes homeless families with children, gives the resources they need to not only put a roof over their heads but to also become self-sufficient.
“Young people aren’t as likely to be as successful in school, and I think that’s a deeply-held value in Kalamazoo County, if they don’t have a place to live,” Dave Anderson, the vice mayor of Kalamazoo and chair of the county’s housing commission, said on Thursday. “So, this is bringing those two things together.”
A number of groups are endorsing the millage, saying it’s not just warehousing the homeless in shelters, but it gives them the means to end their homelessness.
– John McNeill
