KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – It is the season for giving and Kalamazoo County has just gotten a transformational gift to address its affordable housing crisis.
The county has received a $23.3-million donation to fund their Draft Housing Framework, a plan revealed last month to create a focused and intentional plan to make homes affordable.
They have even come up with a new name for it, “Keys to Kalamazoo.”
County board chair Jen Strebs made the announcement.
She says the money will be spent over the next three years on three primary areas, creating a local voucher program to subsidize low income families looking for housing, to provide a full range of support services at The Landing Place, which will be the state’s largest transitional family shelter, and to facilitate the completion of their housing framework to provide long term solutions.
Kalamazoo already has nearly a dozen shelters being operated by various agencies. Strebs says one of the first things they hope to accomplish is to set up one place a homeless person can call to find a bed.
County Administrator Kevin Catlin says they have a special name for problems like this in public administration, and they require a broad commitment from the community.
Strebs says like other big donations that funded the Foundation for Excellence, the Kalamazoo Promise, and Western Michigan University’s Empowering Futures Grant, the donor of the $23.3 million gift has asked for anonymity.
This is awesome news. Many people need help and housing and this will be a godsend to many. I hope it will be put to good use very soon.
Might I suggest that in addition to traditional housing might restaurants be purchased and be converted into housing with foodservice prepared on-site.
Again, congrats.
JH