Making homelessness brief, rare, and one-time in Kent County

Ending and preventing homeless throughout Kent County is the goal of the Grand Rapids Area Coalition to End Homelessness.

Our mission is to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring throughout Kent County by providing community leadership and building capacity in our homeless response and prevention systems through cross-sector engagement, collaborative planning, community education, and equity-focused solutions.

Each year, over 1% of Kent County’s population experiences some degree of homelessness. The reasons vary: physical and mental challenges, job loss, family or domestic issues, or economic impact on vulnerable households. Data source: Kent County Homeless Management Information System and American Community Survey 2020

Ending and preventing homeless throughout Kent County is the goal of the Grand Rapids Coalition to End Homelessness. Composed of more than 56 non-profit service organizations, area municipalities, and countless community members, The Coalition to End Homelessness works every day to provide temporary shelter, social services assistance, and assistance in finding and maintaining appropriate—and permanent—safe housing.

And we’re succeeding: Despite a chronic shortage of affordable housing and the lack of economic diversity, equity and inclusion, our member organizations and individuals are successfully securing housing for individuals and families.