LOCAL sources
These sources helped inform the direction of my research, as well as my overall project and presentation. There are a few other organizations within Grand Rapids, not mentioned here, which can be accessed by people experiencing homelessness who need help.
All of these organizations can be found on the Coalition to End Homelessness website, linked below.
Degage Ministries is a community center on Division and Cherry offering services and shelter to people who are currently homeless or experiencing symptoms of homelessness.
In addition to housing services, they have a work program which offers up to 60 in-house jobs per week. There is also a voucher program to assist patrons in purchasing ($0-$3)food and personal items at Degage.
Interviewing Degage’s Volunteer Coordinator, Holly Kammel, revealed many opportunities for understanding community perspectives and moments for design intervention.
The Coalition to End Homelessness in the Grand
Rapids Area (a.k.a. Kent County Continuum of
Care) is a group of organizations which are bringing their housing, human, and urban planning
skillsets together to end homelessness.
They operate on a Housing First platform, because
people are better able to function and maintain
stability in work and life when they don’t have to worry about where they’re going to sleep
each night.
The data, collected by CoC over the past few years, reveals an increasing population of homeless individuals and households across the board in Kent County.
The Housing Assessment Program sees individuals and families who need assistance in filling out forms and applications for housing and services. They do this on the phone and during walk-ins.
The Housing First method helps to ensure that people first have access to secure, safe, and sanitary housing.
Interviewing the Outreach Team Leader Brian Bruce was extremely helpful
for finding architectural descriptions of spaces often occupied by individuals experiencing homelessness.
It was also good to hear what outreach methods exist, how they find people, and
how they reach them where they are.