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New Grand Traverse County homelessness task force outlines plan, seeks coordination and funding
Summary
The county task force convened by nonprofits and local government presented a strategy to prevent and end homelessness focused on diversion, emergency shelter planning and deeply affordable housing; the group plans a final community action plan by November and implementation steps in early 2026.
Ashley Halliday Schmidt, director of the Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness, told the Board of Commissioners the Housing and Homelessness Task Force aims to develop a unified countywide strategy to prevent and end homelessness.
“The task force is specific to Grand Traverse County, to address systemic barriers to housing, maximize funding and resources, enhance service coordination, track progress and accountability,” Schmidt said, describing a leadership team, three working groups (safety-net services; emergency shelter and services; and housing solutions) and an advisory council that has already voted priorities.
Schmidt said the work groups are drafting recommendations that will be funneled through the leadership team; the plan’s timeline calls for public input sessions and feedback from people with lived experience this summer, a finalized plan in November with an unveiling in December, and implementation strategies in early 2026.
Commissioners pressed staff on how shelter funding requests will be handled while the plan is in development. Commissioner Andrews warned a day shelter, Jubilee House, faces a potential closure on Aug. 22 unless new funding appears; Schmidt said Jubilee is participating in the emergency-shelter work group and that budget recommendations are being compiled but that the task force does not currently operate as a required vetting body for ad hoc funding requests.
Schmidt described diversion, coordinated entry and data-sharing processes already in place: Safe Harbor shares a nightly roster with the coordinated-entry call center, and a diversion specialist is on-site at least twice weekly. She urged the board to rely on evidence-based practices and to prioritize deeply affordable housing in any funding models. “We know permanent supportive housing is going to come out of the task force,” she said, noting earlier outreach to the city for a line item in its budget.
Several commissioners asked for a plain-language executive summary for the public and for monthly written progress reports. Commissioner Andrews said a prior county resolution requires the task force to provide monthly written reports for inclusion on the board’s consent calendar; staff confirmed those reports will be supplied.
What’s next: staff and task-force leaders said they will return with ongoing progress updates and that the leadership team will meet next week to finalize which recommendations advance into the plan.
