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Winter is not necessarily more difficult for homeless people in warmer areas of the country. The state New Mexico, for example, has hot summers which causes risk for dehydration, extreme sunburn, and heat related illnesses. But here in Grand Rapids, Michigan, winter is probably the most challenging season for our homeless neighbors.
As a cold-fearing American, I would prefer summer homelessness over winter homelessness if I had to choose. Sleeping outside at night in Michigan winter’s sub-zero temperatures, for example, certainly entails harsher suffering than a 75-degree Michigan summer sunset with cool dew on the grass by morning.
Recent 2017 research about homelessness in warm places versus cold places found evidence that, quote: “Cold places uniformly have low rates of unsheltered homelessness, while warm places exhibit substantial variation.” Compared to same-size cities down south, cold-winter Grand Rapids might consistently have fewer unsheltered homeless (no tent, no car, no room, no home), because some homeless escape Michigan's cold winters by heading down south .
Read the original American Enterprise Institute research: “On the Relationship between [Warm versus Cold] Climate and Homelessness” by Corinth and Lucas.
Back in January 2018, (about 5 years ago), the homeless population in Grand Rapids was 723. Then in January 2023, the population was recorded at 1,239. That’s over 70% increase in the homeless population over the last 5 years. These numbers are according to the Grand Rapids Area Coalition to End Homelessness, as corroborated by local news sources WOOD-TV and M-LIVE.
Grand Rapids city government’s four major grants and programs which resolve homelessness in 2024 have just over $7 Million dollars budget, which is almost 13% higher budget than in 2019 (about 5 years ago).
Annual Action Plan PDFs are available for download under the reports on GrandRapidsMI.gov.
2024 $7,900,952 Million TOTAL
2019 $7,000,486 Million TOTAL
Almost 13% increase
….SINCE Michigan winters are cold; SINCE Grand Rapids homelessness has nearly doubled these past 5 years; SINCE these four major grants and programs have the same names in 2019 as in 2024; SINCE budgets allocated to each are approximately the same in 2019 as in 2024… SOOO, the question I’d like to ask next is, “What do these grants and programs do different in 2024?”
Here is a list of housing protection and homelessness prevention centers you can contact in Grand Rapids:
Grand Rapids Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) - Any resident, business, neighborhood association, or other entity in the City of Grand Rapids can contact the HOT team directly, as long as it’s regarding street a homelessness issue.
2-1-1 Hotline (by Heart of West Michigan United Way) - Whoever you are, whatever your needs, 2-1-1 makes it easy to find food, shelter, utility assistance, disaster recovery, childcare, transportation, and more.
Grand Rapids Office of Homeless and Community Development - Develops, supports and promotes solutions that reduce homelessness in our community and support individuals and families in need through City-wide initiatives and strategic partnerships.
Grand Rapids Area Coalition to End Homelessness - A collaborative of more than 60 organizations, agencies, municipalities, and individuals who come together with the shared goal of ending homelessness.
Dégagé Ministries - Offers hope and opportunity to those facing homelessness and poverty in our community.
Well House - A historic building with permanent, shared, low-cost housing for people experiencing homelessness.
This proposal is made possible with the budget of $210-$540 per outdoor canopy and cot materials costs purchased at Amazon.com, as well as additional costs which have not been accounted for, including management and labor.
*Commercial-use outdoor canopies with side walls to block the cold winter wind only cost $150-$450 on Amazon.com. ABC Canopy #ad offers a high-value value option, while MasterCanopy offers a high-quality option.
**For rest and comfort, you could furnish your wind protection canopy with a cot for sitting and sleeping raised from the freezing ground. Coleman offers StandardFold and ComfortSmart outdoor cots out the door under $100 (prices subject to change).
***The Calder Plaza at La Grande Vitesse would be a great venue to install a community shelter area with canopies and cots. During mealtime this could be a place to eat, or at other times a place to rest and sleep. More canopies erected in sequence can protect from Michigan’s cold winter better than a single canopy.
