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Kalamazoo County to redirect forfeited ARPA funds toward winter emergency sheltering; joint RFP with city is likely
Summary
The board discussed reallocating $396,750 in forfeited ARPA funds originally granted to Young Kings and Queens toward emergency winter sheltering. County staff and commissioners favored a rapid, joint RFP with the City of Kalamazoo and recommended the Continuum of Care coordinate contracts to accelerate service before winter.
Kalamazoo County commissioners on Sept. 2 discussed reallocating $396,750 in forfeited American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds originally awarded to Young Kings and Queens toward emergency sheltering this winter.
The funds would support services such as emergency hotelling, overnight sheltering, coordinated day-center operations and Code Blue responses for extreme weather. County leaders said the city of Kalamazoo is considering a parallel allocation of roughly $300,000 and that both jurisdictions could issue a joint request for proposals (RFP) to identify providers.
Chair and commissioners said rapid deployment is a priority; several members urged the Continuum of Care (CoC) and its United Way host to coordinate contracting because nonprofit procurement channels can move more quickly for winter sheltering and may reduce contracting delays. Administrator Dr. Catlin described two options: a joint county/city procurement or contracting through the CoC. Commissioners favored the CoC option to enable faster execution.
Contracting fees and administration Deputy Administrator and administration staff noted the CoC historically charged a de minimis administrative fee; the transcript indicates that fee has risen and is likely to be about 15 percent under current federal rules, a figure administration said it could not negotiate. Commissioners asked administration to confirm the exact fee so that more funding goes to direct services rather than contract administration.
Why it matters: The discussion redirects forfeited ARPA funds toward immediate sheltering needs and signals county and city coordination to bolster capacity before winter. Commissioners emphasized speed and urged an RFP to be completed by early November to allow providers time to prepare.
Process and timeline County staff said the county and the City of Kalamazoo will likely collaborate on issuing an RFP; the Continuum of Care may review applications and administer contracts. Administration indicated an intent to have funds available to support shelter operations by late fall and asked the board for authorization to continue working with partners to finalize procurement details.
Attributions: The proposal to reallocate forfeited ARPA funds and to coordinate with the city and the Continuum of Care was discussed by Administrator Dr. Catlin, county staff and multiple commissioners. Commissioner Ray and Vice Chair Taylor voiced support for the approach.
