The Landing Place Opens in Kalamazoo with New Non-Congregate Model for Homeless Families

After Months of Construction and Delays, New Family Shelter Brings Dignified Housing to Kalamazoo County

*PORTAGE, Mich.* — After months of construction and delays, The Landing Place is set to open in Kalamazoo County on April 30, bringing a new approach to family homelessness.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on April 30, with final preparations now underway inside the facility. The project comes after Kalamazoo County government identified a critical need for family shelter in the region.

"This project was actually something that Kalamazoo County government said this is needed here in Kalamazoo," said Andrea Tramel, executive director of The Landing Place, Family Promise of Southwest Michigan. "So, they put together an RFP, a proposal, and Family Promise National won the proposal. And so we're starting a brand new affiliate to operate The Landing Place."

The facility will serve families experiencing homelessness using what Tramel describes as a non-congregate model, meaning each family has its own private space rather than sharing large common sleeping areas.

"It'll be a 70-plus shelter room," Tramel said. "So, that's to accommodate families of all different sizes. Some families will require two rooms as opposed to one."

Each room will include a microwave and mini fridge, allowing families flexibility while staying on-site. Meals, including breakfast, dinner and snacks, will also be provided daily.

Beyond housing, the focus is on helping families transition into permanent stability as quickly as possible.

"Our goal for every family the minute they enter is immediately to get stable and safe housing for them," Tramel said.

Every family will be paired with a caseworker and receive individualized support, which can include financial coaching, employment resources and housing planning.

"We really meet the family where they're at, and we provide an individual plan with what they need to accomplish those goals," she said.

One of the biggest distinctions from other shelters in the region is the emphasis on keeping families together. What makes Family Promise unique is everything they do is based on trauma-informed information and data, according to Tramel.

"We really focus on keeping families together," Tramel said. "That whole concept of keeping the family unit intact is really important to our model."

The project received more than $12 million in contracts approved by Kalamazoo County, which has been working to address the housing shortage that affects nearly 8,000 housing units in the region.

A Former Politician Leads the Charge on Housing Development

Mary Balkema, Kalamazoo County Housing Director, has been at the center of much of the development work in the county. Balkema, 59, walked through a newly built home at Stanwood Crossings on April 1 to give a tour of the 42-home development on city of Portage-owned land.

Balkema has a decades-long career in local politics. She was a Kalamazoo City Commissioner from 2001 to 2007 and was elected as county treasurer as a Republican in 2007, reelected through the end of the next decade until current Democrat Treasurer Thomas Whitener won the seat in 2020.

Hired as county housing director the next year, Balkema is now tasked with leading efforts to work with developers seeking millage funding. She was tapped to serve on the board of directors for the city of Kalamazoo's philanthropic funded Foundation for Excellence in 2022 and continues to serve in the housing position.

"Do I work in a political environment and do I report to a split board? Well, absolutely," Balkema said. "But I now consider myself a public servant, one that's deeply concerned with economic development, housing, community development, how to grow the tax base and how to help solve some of the area's complex homelessness issues."

The Broader Housing Challenge

Kalamazoo County voters passed an eight-year, 0.75-mill proposal in August 2020 to expand affordable housing. As of this month, 2,503 homes have been built since the housing millage began, but the county still has work to do to meet the estimated need of nearly 8,000 housing units.

"The county has contributed money to 1,873 units since the millage began, also providing funding for 215 owner-occupied rehabs, as well as housing-related programs," Balkema said.

The county millage money fills gaps for projects like Stanwood Crossings, helping developers get financing when banks won't lend on dirt they don't own.

"We wanted to build a tax base, we wanted to build a community," Balkema said.

Part of Balkema's job is bringing applicant projects to the Board of Commissioners so they discuss and modify the final list each year. There was no playbook for this work, as Kalamazoo County is the first in Michigan to do a housing millage at this scale.

"The county must also work with the local unit of government, because of things like zoning and code enforcement. It takes a lot of work, she said, to determine details of each place and get the financing right."

The Landing Place represents another critical step forward in addressing homelessness in Kalamazoo County, with a focus on dignity and family stability rather than temporary shelter solutions.