Housing Task Force Seeks $1 Million to Combat Homelessness in Traverse City

The Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness is asking Traverse City to commit $1 million in its upcoming budget to fund a newly formed Housing and Homelessness Task Force, a regional initiative backed by Grand Traverse County and seeded through a grant from Rotary Charities.

Traverse City commissioners received an update on the Task Force during a study session on March 9-10, while the coalition separately briefed Grand Traverse County commissioners on the effort's goals, focus areas, and pressing needs. Public feedback sessions drew local officials to the Governmental Center in Traverse City, where Traverse City Manager Benjamin Marentette, County Administrator Nate Alger, and Garfield Township Manager Chris Barsheff sat alongside City Attorney Lauren Trible-Laucht and City Commissioner Heather Shaw to hear from task force representatives including Central United Methodist Church Director of Outreach and Discipleship Ryan Hannon.

NWCEH Director Ashley Halladay-Schmandt made the case for sustained investment by pushing back against skepticism over affordable housing development. "So what we have to do is rely on our data that shows that that actually property values don't decrease because you have affordable housing built in your neighborhood," she said. "The more we can build out deeply affordable housing the less people we have experiencing homelessness so we have to keep relying on what works."

The Task Force is structured around a Leadership Team and a 16-member Advisory Council drawn from across sectors. The Leadership Team includes Alger, Marentette, Hannon, NWCEH's Christie Minervini, Rotary Charities representative Sakura Takano, and facilitator Rick Bellingham. The Advisory Council pulls in representatives from Munson Medical Center, Safe Harbor of Grand Traverse, Goodwill Northern Michigan's street outreach program, Aspire North, the Traverse Area District Library, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, and the Traverse City Police Department, among others. Angela Mikula participates specifically representing lived experience of homelessness.

From May through September 2025, work groups will focus on emergency shelter, safety net services, and housing solutions, assessing current gaps, identifying best practices, and developing actionable strategies. The Record-Eagle reported four recommendation categories emerging from those groups: Emergency Shelter, Housing Supportive Services, Housing Development, and Safety Net Services.

Halladay-Schmandt framed the coalition's broader ambition as a deliberate departure from incremental fixes. "As we embark on this critical journey, the Housing and Homelessness Task Force is committed to fostering collaboration and innovation," she said. "Through our collective efforts, we can create a lasting impact on homelessness in Traverse City and Grand Traverse County, ensuring that every individual has access to safe and stable housing."

The Task Force will deliver regular written progress reports to the county, followed by a draft report and an October study session. The final community action plan is expected in late November. More information is available at endhomelessnessnmi.org.