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Public commenters press city for more shelters, coordination after arctic blast sheltering
Summary
During public comment at the Jan. 27 Kalamazoo City Commission meeting, multiple speakers urged more shelter capacity, 24-hour and no-barrier shelters, rent caps and better coordination among nonprofits and government after an extreme-weather hotel sheltering effort moved about 120 people off the street.
Several Kalamazoo-area residents used the Jan. 27 public comment period to urge the City Commission to expand shelter options, improve coordination among agencies and invest in housing supports for people experiencing homelessness.
Speakers described gaps exposed by recent extreme cold and praised a short-term hotel sheltering effort while urging longer-term changes. City Manager Ritzema told the commission earlier in the meeting that, during last week’s arctic blast, the city and its partners funded a hotel project that sheltered about 120 people; he thanked the continuum of care and volunteers for coordinating placements.
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