EMERGENCY SHELTER AND SERVICES

Work Group Purpose and Goals

Purpose: Strengthen the crisis response system to provide immediate, safe, and supportive shelter. This includes enhancing emergency shelters, day services, and housing navigation efforts.

Goals:

• Ascertain number of beds our community will need for year-round shelter

• Determine service provider(s) for shelter services

• Determine location and scope of services for day shelter and emergency shelter

• Develop an extreme weather policy that is adopted by the city and county to help support

• Create funding plan for shelter system
   

Recommendation #1: Create a sustainable budget and funding plan for emergency and day shelter services.
 

The Goal: Move from a patchwork of short-term, unstable funding to a unified, long-term plan that ensures shelters are stable, fully resourced, and equipped to meet community needs year-round.

Why This Matters:

• Current funding is fragmented and unpredictable.

• Staffing, 24/7 operations, and trauma-informed training are underfunded.

• No shared system budget exists across providers.

What Success Looks Like:

• Fully funded, year-round shelter operations with fair wages for staff.

• Reliable mix of federal, state, local, and philanthropic resources.

• A clear 3–5 year funding strategy that reduces reliance on crisis fundraising.

• Expanded services and capacity to reduce unsheltered homelessness.

Key Steps to Get There:

• Map existing funding and true costs across providers.

• Engage government, business, healthcare, and philanthropy in multi-year commitments.

 

Recommendation #2: Develop a consistent set of recommended service standards across all emergency and day shelters to ensure high-quality, trauma-informed, and equitable services.

The Goal: Create recommendations for consistent service standards across all emergency and day shelters so every guest receives high-quality, trauma-informed, and equitable care.

Why This Matters:

• Shelters are already doing incredible work, but each operates a little differently. Aligning around common standards can reduce confusion for guests, build trust, and help ensure that everyone has access to the same quality of support, no matter where they go.

What Success Looks Like:

• Staff supported with the tools, training, and resources they need.

• A shelter system that feels fair, reliable, and person-centered for everyone.

• Guests consistently welcomed with dignity and compassion.

Key Steps to Get There:

• Continue building on the strong foundation already in place.

• Explore how shared standards could be developed through the Coalition.

• Provide opportunities for ongoing training, technical assistance, and guest feedback.

• Keep flexibility so shelters can adapt to unique needs while moving toward shared goals.
   

Recommendation #3: Develop a clear and feasible plan for the location(s) and scope of emergency and day shelter services that balances accessibility, service quality, community concerns, and long-term system goals. (still in development)
 

Next steps:

• Identify shelter locations that are accessible to people experiencing homelessness, including proximity to transportation, services etc.

• Clarify the scope of services — whether shelters are seasonal or year-round, overnight only or 24/7, and whether they offer day services.

• Balance neighborhood concerns with the need to ensure safety, dignity, and accessibility for guests.

• Examine long-term system goals, such as integration with permanent housing solutions and alignment with broader community development plans.

• Consider cost, staffing, funding availability, zoning, etc.
   

Safety Net Services

Work Group Purpose and Goals

Purpose: Strengthen support systems that prevent homelessness and assist those currently experiencing it. Focus areas include access to healthcare and mental health services, crisis intervention, diversion and prevention efforts, and essential resources.

Goals:

• Decrease inflow into homelessness

• Increase diversion efforts

• Provide necessary services to people while they are experiencing homelessness and are working toward housing
   

Recommendation #1: Expand Quick Response Team coverage to the entire county to ensure equitable community outreach.
 

The Goal: Expand the Quick Response Team (QRT) countywide so all vulnerable people, including those without co-occurring conditions, have access to coordinated outreach and wrap-around services.

Why This Matters:

Nearly 90% of QRT referrals are homelessness-related, but many individuals are excluded due to eligibility limits. Expanding QRT would ensure equitable access, reduce gaps, and strengthen cross-agency collaboration.

What Success Looks Like:

• Countywide access to QRT services.

• Coordinated support across housing, healthcare, and community agencies.

• Agencies resourced to meet increased demand.

• Flexible funds and transportation available to address immediate needs.

• Key Steps to Get There:

• Establish a central “hub” for coordination.

• Provide agency stipends and pooled resource funds.

• Strengthen transportation and train staff on referral pathways.
   

Recommendation #2: Improve homeless response system navigation and service coordination.
 

The Goal: Improve navigation and coordination within the homeless response system so people can easily access services, understand next steps, and receive timely, coordinated support.

Why This Matters:

Better coordination and navigation will ensure faster access, stronger partnerships, and a clearer, more consistent experience for those in need.

What Success Looks Like:

• Enough frontline staff to provide live answers and timely intake.

• Shorter wait times and clearer next steps for clients.

• Consistent language, protocols, and daily shelter bed updates.

• Partner agencies equipped with a clear process when someone screens positive for homelessness.

• More in-person support, after-hours access, and transportation options.

• People with lived experience surveyed to improve access.

Key Steps to Get There:

• Increase staffing and live-response capacity for intake and navigation.

• Strengthen outreach, including set intake times and locations.

• Create clear protocols and flowcharts for referral and screening.

• Fund housing navigation and system coordination roles.

• Prevent discharges to homelessness by coordinating with jails, hospitals, and crisis center

 

Recommendation #3: Integrate trauma-informed practices in behavioral health and resilience-building strategies across the homeless response system as a secondary prevention strategy to prevent returns to homelessness.
 

The Goal: Integrate trauma-informed practices and resilience-building strategies throughout the homeless response system as a form of secondary prevention to reduce returns to homelessness.

Why This Matters:

Embedding trauma-informed care system-wide can strengthen conflict resolution, build resilience, and support long-term housing stability.

What Success Looks Like:

• All agencies trained and operating through a trauma-informed lens.

• Stronger client-centered goals, daily activities, and resilience-building supports.

• Better coordination across housing, behavioral health, and community systems.

• Fewer people cycling back into homelessness.

Key Steps to Get There:

• Adopt a consistent trauma-informed care model and program assessment tool.

• Provide enhanced training for all homeless response system staff.

• Expand prevention-focused data collection, including risk assessments.

• Strengthen referral capacity to behavioral health and other supports.

• Recommendation #4: Invest in upstream prevention and early detection of high risk of homelessness while supporting programs that help people maintain housing stability
   

Recommendation #4: Invest in upstream prevention and early detection of high risk of homelessness while supporting programs that help people maintain housing stability.
 

The Goal: Invest in upstream prevention and early detection of people at high risk of homelessness, while supporting programs that help individuals and families maintain stable housing.

Why This Matters:

Strengthening prevention strategies and early detection reduces the number of people entering homelessness, lowers system costs, and promotes long-term housing stability.

What Success Looks Like:

• A prevention-based screening tool used consistently across agencies.

• A coordinated fund with clear guidelines to provide timely financial assistance (utilities, rent, diversion supports).

• Increased collaboration and reduced “ping-ponging” between agencies.

• Navigators embedded in agencies, linked through a shared database and overseen by a coordinator.

• A 211 system or similar model that works effectively to connect people to resources.

Key Steps to Get There:

• Develop and adopt a screening tool to identify those most at risk of homelessness.

• Create a shared funding pool with clear policies on allowable uses.

• Expand diversion programs and workers to provide flexible, housing-focused solutions.

• Build capacity at local service providers to respond effectively when people screen positive for homelessness risk.
   

Recommendation #5: Increase regional access to mobile health and mental health services including mobile med and the new crisis center.
 

The Goal: To better serve people experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable populations.

Why This Matters:

Expanding access ensures services are equitable and reach those most at risk.

What Success Looks Like:

• Next meeting

Key Steps to Get There:

Next meeting
 

HOUSING SOLUTIONS

Work Group Purpose and Goals

Purpose: Expand affordable housing options for people exiting homelessness by securing funding, partnering with developers and landlords, and advancing supportive housing models like Permanent Supportive Housing, Rapid Re-Housing and other innovative housing solutions.

Goals:

• Ascertain the number of PSH beds needed each year to get to zero chronic

• Determine how many beds we’ll need each year to end chronic homelessness

• Explore funding sources needed to develop more units

• Establish support services funding (and for other providers)

• Focus on housing development for 0-50% AMI
   

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

Recommendation #1: Expand deeply affordable housing availability and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) options.

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The Goal: Expand deeply affordable housing options and increase Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) units to meet the community’s goal of 178 new PSH units by 2028, ensuring stability for the most vulnerable and progress toward ending chronic homelessness.

Why This Matters:

Without more deeply affordable housing and long-term commitments from local partners, chronic homelessness will remain unsolved.

What Success Looks Like:

• 178 additional PSH units developed and sustained within three years.

• Predictable local commitments from city and county to support housing and services.

• Strong partnerships with developers, landlords, and service providers.

• Expanded deeply affordable housing opportunities across the region.

• PSH integrated into neighborhoods and supported with reliable services.

• Functional zero for chronic homelessness achieved by 2028.

Key Steps to Get There:

• Advocate for policy changes and sustainable funding at local and state levels.

• Finalize the PSH unit goal and timeline, with identified parcels through land banks.

• Align city and county zoning, planning, and financing policies to support PSH.

• Create a blended funding plan leveraging local, state, federal, and philanthropic dollars.

• Establish a joint City-County fund dedicated to PSH development and services.

• Strengthen service funding partnerships (CMH, Medicaid, health clinics, etc.).

• Protect existing affordable housing and expand through CDBG and other tools.
   

Recommendation #2:  Explore innovative financing mechanisms, such as Brownfield TIF, affordable housing millages, progressive real estate transfer taxes, etc.
 

The Goal: Explore and expand innovative financing tools — such as Brownfield TIF, housing millages, and tax incentives — to close funding gaps and accelerate the development of deeply affordable housing and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH).

Why This Matters:

Traditional funding streams alone cannot meet the region’s housing needs. Innovative financing can make projects feasible, incentivize developers, and ensure that housing serves people at 0–50% AMI, including those who need PSH.

What Success Looks Like:

• Transparent, streamlined processes for developers with clear incentives.

• Regional consistency across jurisdictions in applying financing tools.

• Local political will and active participation from city, county, and townships.

• Deeply affordable housing units created and sustained through stable funding mechanisms.

• Philanthropy, government, and developers working together to support innovative solutions.

Key Steps to Get There:

• Leverage Housing TIF and ensure funds are used for deeply affordable housing.

• Advance a county housing millage or progressive real estate transfer tax to create a housing and homelessness fund.

• Expand PILOT use (0–3% rates tied to affordability levels) and link incentives to set-aside requirements.

• Reduce or waive development fees and improve equity in Residential Equivalent User (REU) calculations.

• Make vacant city and county land available for affordable housing at low or no cost.

• Engage philanthropy and small developers to utilize state and local development tools.

• Build capacity in land banks to support affordable housing.
   

Recommendation #3:  Advocate for increased density and zoning flexibility to support low income housing. 
 

The Goal: Advocate for countywide policies that increase density and zoning flexibility to expand low-income housing, paired with strong tenant protections and accountability measures.

Why This Matters:

Current zoning policies across the city and townships can be fragmented and sometimes restrictive, limiting the ability to create housing for households earning ≤80% AMI. Without coordinated action, affordable units risk being lost to redevelopment, displacement, and rising rents.

What Success Looks Like:

• More low-income housing built through by-right approvals, and density bonuses.

• Affordable units preserved and protected from displacement through covenants, tenant protections, and relocation assistance.

• Coordinated countywide housing policies, supported by a Housing Advisory Committee with diverse representation.

• A robust affordability “toolbox” with funding, covenants, and clear rules for developers.

• Regular data tracking, public dashboards, and accountability for outcomes.

• Growth aligned with infrastructure, schools, and services to protect quality of life while meeting housing needs.

Key Steps to Get There:

• Establish a County Housing Task Force/Advisory Committee with renters, landlords, developers, service providers, and schools.

• Attach AMI requirements to PILOTs and simplify permitting with clear, non-subjective standards.

• Expand by-right affordable housing in core neighborhoods, near transit, and through ADUs.

• Implement density bonuses, and parking reforms.

• Create an affordability covenant template and pilot preservation programs for at-risk housing stock.

• Secure gap financing through TIF, state/federal programs, and county affordability funds.

• Launch anti-displacement measures such as just-cause eviction policies, relocation assistance, and right-to-return provisions.

• Build public dashboards and conduct independent evaluations to ensure accountability.
   

Recommendation #4: Adopt an incentives toolkit and developer checklists that consider homelessness and encourage affordable housing during the planning stages.
 

The Goal: Adopt an incentives toolkit and developer checklists that incorporate homelessness and encourage affordable housing — including Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) — during the earliest planning stages.

Why This Matters:

While Housing North, the County, and the City have started developing zoning tools and resources, they need to be expanded and refined to explicitly include PSH and homelessness-focused solutions. A clear, consistent toolkit can reduce barriers, incentivize infill development, and help homeowners and developers embrace Housing First principles.

What Success Looks Like:

• A practical toolkit and checklists available to developers, homeowners, and municipalities.

• More small-scale affordable projects like ADUs, duplexes, and quadplexes moving forward.

• Clearer, more predictable development standards that reduce delays and uncertainty.

• Housing North’s tools refined to explicitly support PSH development.

• Early-stage planning that consistently incorporates affordability and Housing First principles.

Key Steps to Get There:

• Refine Housing North’s zoning atlas and other tools to include PSH development.

• Create developer and homeowner checklists that highlight incentives, funding, and design options.

• Promote MEDC workshops and other state-level resources for builders.

• Strengthen legal protections and predictability by moving toward more by-right development and reducing reliance on subjective approvals.

• Encourage infill development by making processes and incentives transparent and accessible.
   

HOUSING SUPPORT SERVICES

Recommendation #1: Continue to expand Permanent Supportive Housing programs with support from City and County resources.
 

The Goal: Secure sustainable City and County support to expand and strengthen Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) programs, ensuring long-term stability for people experiencing chronic homelessness.

Why This Matters:

Service funding remains unstable, and incentives for developers or landlords to dedicate PSH units are limited. Without recurring local funding and stronger policy tools, the region risks falling short of its PSH goals.

What Success Looks Like:

• Annual, recurring City and County budget allocations for PSH operations and services.

• Integrated Care Teams delivering behavioral health, tenancy support, and substance use services tied to PSH units.

• Clear service standards for PSH adopted across providers.

• Policy alignment requiring PILOT or TIF-supported projects to include PSH units.

• A strong, coordinated provider model supported by both city and county governments.

• Sustainable revenue streams from diverse sources (general funds, CDBG, marijuana tax, opioid settlement).

• Chronic homelessness significantly reduced through expanded PSH capacity.

Key Steps to Get There:

• Establish recurring city and county budget line items for PSH services and staffing.

• Advocate for state-level support (e.g., Supportive Services Transformation Fund).

• Explore merging the local CoC with the Michigan Balance of State CoC to maximize resources.

• Leverage Opportunity and Enterprise Zones to expand PSH development.

• Require PSH unit set-asides and service alignment as conditions for PILOTs or TIF.

• Continue educating and building champions among local policymakers and community leaders.
   

Recommendation #2: Broaden and align funding streams.
 

The Goal: Broaden and align funding streams to create a stable, transparent, and outcomes-focused financial foundation for the homeless response system.

Why This Matters:

Right now, providers spend significant time chasing siloed grants, and funding levels fluctuate year to year. Without stable and aligned funding from federal, state, local, and philanthropic partners, it’s difficult to sustain core services like supportive housing. A coordinated, data-driven approach ensures funding goes where it’s most effective and reduces risk as federal dollars fluctuate.

What Success Looks Like:

• Multiple funding sources braided together to cover core services without duplication or gaps.

• Stable, predictable baseline funding for shelter, outreach, supportive housing, and prevention.

• Providers spending more time serving people, less time on fragmented fundraising.

• Increased housing outcomes due to well-resourced programs.

• Long-term savings in healthcare, criminal justice, and emergency services through stable housing solutions.

Key Steps to Get There:

• Establish contracts for core services from City and County governments aligned with best practices.

• Advocate for increased and diversified funding allocations at the local level.

• Ensure funding decisions are transparent, data-driven, and tied to measurable outcomes.

• Continue leveraging innovative approaches (e.g., marijuana tax dollars, Supportive Services Transformation Fund) while building broader alignment across city, county, state, and federal partners.
   

Recommendation #3: Increase access to behavioral health and integrated care supports for those residing in PSH through the development of a comprehensive care team.
 

The Goal: Develop and fund a comprehensive Integrated Care Team — or Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) type model — to provide behavioral health, medical, and tenancy support for people living in Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), ensuring stability and long-term success.

Why This Matters:

Housing-based case managers are expected to do everything from tenancy support to behavioral health, but they don’t have the capacity or specialized expertise to meet all needs. While qualified providers exist locally and models from other communities show this is replicable, gaps in funding, staffing, and buy-in mean PSH tenants often lack the coordinated care they need. Without comprehensive supports, landlords face higher risks, case managers burn out, and tenants are at greater risk of losing housing.

What Success Looks Like:

• More people maintaining housing long-term, with some stabilizing enough to transition out of PSH.

• PSH tenants with consistent access to behavioral health, physical health, and substance use services.

• Healthier residents, fewer crises, and more engagement in daily wellness activities.

• Reduced turnover among housing-based case managers, who can focus on tenancy and referrals.

• Greater confidence among landlords and property managers when renting to high-acuity tenants.

• A fully integrated, community-supported care model operating to fidelity.

Key Steps to Get There:

• Establish and adopt PSH service standards monitored for compliance.

• Build a comprehensive Integrated Care Team by combining funding from city, county, Medicaid, and partner providers.

• Strengthen partnerships with Community Mental Health, Munson Medical Center, Traverse Health Clinic, and other medical teams.

• Pitch to CMH leadership and local governments to secure dedicated funding carve-outs and budget line items.

• Leverage and expand successful models like Mobile Med and the Quick Response Team.

• Ensure visible support from City, County, and health officials to champion the model.

• Expand provider capacity and human resources to sustain the team long-term.