The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners meeting on October 7, 2025, focused on critical discussions surrounding homelessness in the region, led by Patrice Griffin, director of the Kalamazoo County Continuum of Care. Griffin provided an overview of the Continuum of Care program, which aims to streamline federal funding to address local homelessness needs.

Griffin highlighted the importance of the annual Point in Time Count, a mandated survey conducted in January to assess homelessness on a single night. The 2025 count revealed a total of 791 individuals experiencing homelessness, marking a 19% increase from the previous year and the highest number recorded since 2011. Of those counted, 709 were sheltered, with 632 in emergency shelters and 77 in transitional housing. The unsheltered count stood at 82 individuals, the lowest since 2018, largely attributed to the "Heads in Beds" initiative, which provided temporary hotel accommodations during extreme cold weather.

Griffin also addressed significant racial disparities within the homeless population. While 76% of Kalamazoo County identifies as white, only 41% of the unhoused population falls within this demographic. Notably, 42% of those counted as homeless identified as Black, despite only 12% of the county's overall population being Black. This disparity was particularly pronounced among families with children, where 64% of sheltered families identified as Black.

The meeting underscored the ongoing challenges of homelessness in Kalamazoo County and the need for continued efforts to address these disparities and improve support systems for vulnerable populations. The Continuum of Care is currently working on a five-year plan to end homelessness, emphasizing the importance of data analysis and community partnerships in tackling this pressing issue.