December 17, 2016
Baby It’s Cold Outside
It’s the time of year when people think about giving a bit more; it’s also the time of year when those experiencing homelessness are in the most danger. How many […]
November 18, 2016
What You Need To Know
This Homelessness Awareness Week we have had several learning opportunities for those of us in the work of ending homelessness and the community at large. At the end of the […]
November 17, 2016
Homelessness: The Tip of the Iceberg
An often forgotten aspect of homelessness, that is critical to understanding it, is how desperately people try to avoid losing their housing. Homelessness rarely, if ever, occurs spontaneously in situations […]
November 16, 2016
The Cost of Homelessness
I talk about the moral imperative of not allowing any of our people in Kent County live and die on our streets. For some, this call does not resonate. There […]
November 15, 2016
An End to Homelessness
I get it, we sound nuts talking about ending homelessness. I mean, the audacity that WE could end this horrible plague on humanity that’s always been with us and always […]
November 14, 2016
Housing First Awareness
If you have followed anything in the news about homelessness recently you’ve probably read about Housing First. Articles with headlines like, “This City Has a Novel Approach to End Homelessness” […]
July 8, 2016
Heartside Neighborhood and Doughnut Shops
Arguably the most diverse neighborhood in Grand Rapids (although we know how fast our neighborhoods are changing these days!), Heartside Neighborhood has a unique place in the Grand Rapids landscape. […]
June 29, 2016
Homelessness in the News
Today major news sources in San Francisco will be focused on the issue of homelessness in their city. They are asking other cities around the country to band with them and […]
April 11, 2016
Ending Veteran Homelessness
In 2014, First Lady Michelle Obama issued a challenge to mayors around the country: End Veteran Homelessness. Mayor Heartwell of Grand Rapids signed on for that challenge, and all of […]
February 12, 2016
GRTV Focus on the Issues
CoC staff and a couple agency partners discuss Housing First and what it means.