KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Kalamazoo County board has voted to purchase a Holiday Inn on the northeast side of Kalamazoo for their new transitional housing shelter.
It will fill a major gap in local shelters for the homeless, providing facilities for whole families.
County housing director Mary Balkema says it is currently an operating hotel at 3630 Cork Street.
She says the good news is the ball is rolling. The bad news is that closing the facility, closing the sale and completing renovations will mean it won’t open before winter.
The county is contributing $3.5 million, the city of Kalamazoo will contribute $1.2 million, and Portage will put $500,000 in to purchase and make alterations to the new homeless facility.
County board chair Tami Rae calls it an unprecedented joint venture between the three local governments, Southwest Michigan First and the Kalamazoo Continuum of Care.
They plan to hire a manager and other staff to run the place.
The purchase price for the facility was $4.5 million, leaving about $700,000 for renovations.
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