Housing

The Community Plan

Please visit the link below to learn more about the Housing Stability Alliance and to read the Common Agenda and Roadmap entitled “Redefining the Path Home: System Building for Housing Stability in Kent County”

See the Community Plan

The Housing Stability Alliance works to develop an equitable housing system for all residents in Kent County, specifically focusing on addressing the disparate outcomes for Black and Latinx residents in our community.

Creating an equitable housing system will not happen overnight. It will take decades of hard work and dedication from the entire community. However, if the past two years was any indication that the Kent County communities share a passion for this issue; we are well poised to create change. We’re working to increase access to quality affordable housing and dissolve homelessness in Kent County with an intentional focus on eliminating racial disparities among families, children, and youth and other data-driven priorities.

News and Updates

Housing | News |

Community Plan to Address Racial Disparities in the Homeless System Released

GRAND RAPIDS: The Housing Stability Alliance (Alliance) has released its…
Foundational | Housing |

Housing Instability Data

Homeless Data This analysis is based on the 2018 Annual…
Foundational | Housing |

The Crisis of Family Homelessness

Eleanor Moreno spends much of her time “listening to and…
Foundational | Housing |

Racial Disparities in the Homeless System

Grand Rapids is routinely recognized as “one of the best…

The First Twelve Months

In May 2018 concerned community stakeholders asked KConnect to bring people together to examine how the housing system is working, establish shared goals, and develop collaborative strategies to reach those goals with a focus on children, families, youth, and people of color. KConnect initiated its work in Fall 2018 and began a yearlong process to convene organizations, funders, and other stakeholders within the housing and homeless system.

Understanding the First Twelve Months
Three people talking about housing work

The Work Moving Forward

We have promised to deliver a common agenda and roadmap to create and sustain a movement that builds systems between sectors and empowers lived experience to dissolve housing instability and homelessness for children and families from the landscape of Kent County. That work is to be completed in Summer 2020. It is our goal to build the movement that is already underway, and to center lived experience around this system-change strategy.

See Our Current Goals

Housing Stability Alliance Chairs

Based on prior Design Team conversations, a public/private/philanthropic chair team has been established to serve as publicly-facing liaisons to the work.

Mayor Rosalynn Bliss

City of Grand Rapids

Mandy Bolter

Chair, Kent County Commission

Christina Keller

President/CEO, Cascade Engineering

Lynne Ferrell

Program Director, Frey Foundation

Resources and Local News Coverage

Looking for historical resources and local news covered related to housing? Visit our Housing Resources page. 

Housing Resources
bird's eye photography of red and orange houses

Housing Stability Alliance Partners

3:11 Youth HousingDwelling Place of Grand RapidsGreater Ottawa County United WayMichigan League for Public Policy
Access of West MichiganEssential Needs Task ForceHeart of West Michigan United WayResilient Roots Yoga LLC
Arbor CircleFair Housing Center of West MichiganHispanic Center of West MichiganRockford Construction
Bohnsack and AssociatesFamily Promise of Grand RapidsHousing NextSacred Beginnings
Byrum & FiskFlat River Outreach Ministries
HQ Runaway & Homeless Youth Drop-In Center
Spectrum Health
Calvin University Center for Social ResearchFrey FoundationInner City Christian FederationThe Eureka Group
Cascade EngineeringGrand Rapids Area Coalition to End HomelessnessIrwin SeatingThe Salvation Army
Cherry HealthGrand Rapids Community FoundationKennari ConsultingTurner Thole Consulting
City of Grand RapidsGrand Rapids Housing CommissionKent CountyUnited Methodist Community House
City of WyomingGrand Rapids Public LibraryKent Intermediate School DistrictUrban Core Collective
Community RebuildersGrand Rapids Public SchoolsMeasurable ChangeWestside Collaborative
Creative Reach LLCGrand Rapids Urban LeagueMel Trotter MinistriesWyoming Department of Public Safety
Degage MinistriesGrand Valley State UniversityMichigan Department of Civil RightsYMCA of Greater Grand Rapids
Design Group InternationalYWCA West Central Michigan

Tool Table