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Northwest Michigan
Coalition to End Homelessness
The Current Homeless Response System
Coordinating housing and services for people experiencing homelessness
Tracking need, inventory, and outcomes to improve service delivery
Grand Traverse County’s homeless response system is organized as part of the Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness (NWCEH), a regional alliance that coordinates housing and services for people experiencing homelessness. The NWCEH brings together day and overnight shelters, emergency services, government agencies, nonprofit providers, and faith-based groups to streamline access to resources. The system typically uses a Coordinated Entry process to assess need and route individuals to appropriate housing options, whether that’s emergency shelter, rapid re-housing, or permanent supportive housing. Data sharing through a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) helps track need, inventory, and outcomes to improve service delivery, while funding from HUD, state programs, and local sources supports emergency shelter, case management, and housing-first initiatives.
Homelessness prevention, expanding housing stock and improving
data-informed strategies
Key partners in Grand Traverse County include local emergency shelters, charitable organizations, and social service agencies such as Father Fred Foundation and Salvation Army, along with mental health and substance use treatment providers. The housing-first approach emphasizes rapid connection to stable housing, with wraparound services like case management, rental assistance, and supports for health, employment, and transportation. Despite progress, the county continues to face challenges typical of northern Michigan: a constrained affordable housing supply, seasonal demand fluctuations, and the need for expanded permanent supportive housing options. Ongoing collaboration focuses on prevention, expanding housing stock, and improving data-informed strategies to reduce homelessness and stabilize households.
Service Providers
Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency (NMCAA)
Northwest Michigan Supportive Housing
Goodwill Northern Michigan
Safe Harbor of Grand Traverse
Women's Resource Center (WRC)
Jubilee House
Central United Methodist Church
System Goals
Homeless Response System Goals
#1 Help people resolve their housing crisis as
quickly and safely as possible
#2 Reduce the number of people entering and
returning to homelessness
#3 Use limited resources in the most effective
way by prioritizing permanent housing solutions
System Providers
GT County Service Providers
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Emergency Shelter
Emergency Shelter
Safe place to avoid exposure to weather, violence, and health risks
Emergency shelters, both during the day and overnight, are a critical component of a comprehensive homeless response system. They provide immediate safety and a stable base from which people can avoid exposure to extreme weather, violence, and health risks. Day shelters offer a predictable space for rest, hygiene, meals, and access to information and staff who can connect individuals with benefits, medical care, and housing resources. Overnight shelters offer a secure, protected environment that reduces the dangers of sleeping outdoors and helps prevent incidents of assault, hypothermia, and unsafe practices that can arise from prolonged street exposure.
First step toward housing stability
Beyond safety, shelters serve as access points to essential services and supports. They concentrate staff, partners, and resources in one place, making it easier to assess needs, provide rapid connections to healthcare, mental health and substance-use treatment, employment services, and disability benefits. For many people, shelters are the first step in a pathway toward housing stability, offering case management, housing plans, and referrals tailored to individual barriers. Well-run shelters emphasize dignity, trauma-informed care, privacy, and culturally responsive practices to build trust and encourage engagement with longer-term solutions.
Aligned with a Housing First approach
Effective shelter systems are not ends in themselves; they are channels to permanent housing and stability. This requires adequate bed capacity, predictable operations, diversion efforts and strong coordination with housing programs, rental subsidies, and supportive services. Day and overnight shelters should align with a Housing First approach, prioritizing rapid transitions to permanent housing while ensuring ongoing access to health care, safety planning, and daily living supports. Policymakers and providers must also address negative experiences within shelters—crowding, stigma, and safety concerns—through staff training, safety protocols, and transparent governance to preserve trust and encourage utilization as a stepping stone toward stable housing and improved health outcomes.
Shared Vision
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