GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY — During a study session of the Grand Traverse County commissioners, Ashley Halladay-Schmandt from the NW Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness presented a PowerPoint breaking down the goals and the timeline of the Housing and Homeless Task Force.
Halladay-Schmandt said they are in the strategize and problem-solve phase.
“We will have public input sessions,” Halladay-Schmandt said. “We’ll also have stakeholder feedback sessions with folks who’ve lived experience of homelessness, to inform strategies of the plan, finalize the plan, hopefully in November. And unveil it in December.”
Dozens of members of the community are part of the Leadership Team and Advisory Council along with more organizations forming partnerships under three categories: SafetyNet Services, Emergency Shelter and Services, and Housing Solutions.
The commission had multiple questions for Halladay-Schmandt, including whether or not this would affect the homeless population of students.
“They are counting not literally homeless folks or not, young people sleeping on the streets or in our shelters,” Halladay-Schmandt said. “They’re counting people who have one night of housing instability throughout the year. ”