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County weighs $15,000 ARPA pilot to buy 50 secure lockers for people experiencing homelessness
Summary
Commissioners supported using $15,000 in unspent ARPA housing supportive-services funds to pilot 50 outdoor secure lockers at Ministry with Community, but asked administrators for details on locker size, management, eligibility and retrieval policies before deployment.
Kalamazoo County commissioners on Nov. 5 discussed a proposed pilot to buy secure outdoor storage lockers for people experiencing homelessness, using unspent ARPA housing supportive-services funds.
Chair Streps said the lockers would address practical problems that unhoused residents face — carrying belongings, items being stolen or destroyed, and the strain on ID and service programs when people repeatedly lose documents. The administrator presented an estimate of 50 lockers for about $15,000 and said Ministry with Community had offered space for deployment. The administrator described the purchase as a quickly deployable, pilot intervention that could be evaluated and scaled if effective.
Commissioners broadly supported the idea but raised operational questions: how large each locker would be, who decides eligibility, whether lockers are keyed to individuals or double-keyed with program access, how long items could remain, and rules for unclaimed items. Commissioner Ray asked whether the lockers would be procured with ARPA supportive-services funds or another housing fund; the administrator confirmed they would come from previously identified ARPA housing-supportive-services funds that remained unspent.
Several commissioners urged collaboration with the city and regional partners and recommended returning to the board with an implementation plan that includes locker dimensions, management procedures, access rules, and an evaluation plan. The board did not take a final funding vote Nov. 5 but authorized staff to pursue further details and to return with a plan for deployment and oversight.
