A local nonprofit is hoping to install 50 small, weather-proof structures somewhere in Kalamazoo before winter. The goal is to provide emergency shelter for many of the unhoused residents of the city.
In a post on Facebook, Housing Resources Inc. (HRI) announced the launch of a pilot project called “A Kzoo Pod Community – A Place of Dignity!” The group expects delivery of the structures sometime in November.
The so-called ModPods are simple, self-contained structures that contain one to two beds and shelving. They also have heating, cooling, and lighting, and would provide secure spaces for unhoused people to keep some belongings.
“People deserve a place to feel safe and secure,” said Michelle Davis, executive director of HRI, in a news release. She said recent encampments in Kalamazoo, especially the recently cleared Ampersee encampment, were not safe places for people to live.
“With this project, HRI intends to provide a secure space for women and our most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness,” she said.
HRI didn’t say where the pods will be installed. They each require just two people to assemble. HRI intends to build 34 single pods and 16 pods for couples.
Independent journalism is essential to a healthy democracy. Make a donation today.
Thank you to the community institutions that support our work:
