TRAVERSE CITY — Turning a seasonal shelter in Traverse City into a year-round one will take money, and city leaders agreed to help.
City commissioners on Monday voted to give $250,000 to Safe Harbor over two years to help cover increased operating costs from an extended season. They also resolved to help with a goal to effectively end chronic homelessness by 2028 by supporting the creation of more permanent supportive housing.
Extending Safe Harbor’s season past its usual October-through-April window would create a safer alternative to encampments like the Pines,” said Steve Wade, Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation’s vice president of community impact.
The foundation and Rotary Charities are part of a 20-plus-member homelessness collective, and Rotary Charities CEO Sakura Takano said a year-round shelter would be part of a multi-pronged approach including homelessness diversion and street outreach programs. Those in turn would help the community focus on creating the housing needed to permanently end homelessness.
First, Safe Harbor will need nearly $600,000 per year over its current operating budget, Takano said. The shelter needs to secure that funding by the end of January 2025, giving it enough time to seek changes in its special land use permit so it can stay open all year.
“Importantly, Safe Harbor and the homelessness collective plan to request similar financial commitment from the Grand Traverse County commission,” she said. “We’re also reaching out to other governments and nonprofit partners for additional financial support.”
Safe Harbor board Treasurer Wayne Sterenberg told commissioners that 70 percent of the increase is for staffing needs, bringing the annual budget to $1.1 million. That reflects not only employee shifts but a new position of shelter director to oversee operations, a role shelter volunteers currently fill.
Mayor Amy Shamroe noted the American Rescue Plan Act money the city will give to Safe Harbor must be spent by the end of 2026, and Commissioner Tim Werner said he wanted to know what Safe Harbor plans to do after the second year.
Takano replied she doesn’t have a “flawless plan with guaranteed outcomes,” but the city’s backing could open doors to more funding. Plus, efforts like diversion and focusing on building more permanent supportive housing could decrease the number of people who need emergency shelter.
While commissioners unanimously backed both the funding request and resolution, there was plenty of debate Monday night.
Commissioner Heather Shaw pointed to an ongoing effort to build a year-round shelter open around the clock and with on-site services. She argued Safe Harbor isn’t ideal given its size, its design as an overnight shelter and more, and wanted to see more of a focus on finding a new location for Safe Harbor.
“If we want to shut down the Pines, we need a 24-7, all-day, all-night, all-season shelter,” she said. “Shutting down the Pines is the first step, and adding permanent supportive housing and affordable housing is like, 1A of that first step.”
Ashley Halladay-Schmandt, Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness’ director, echoed a previous remark that Traverse City has to invest in both shelter and housing to meet the urgency of the moment. The coalition is making progress, with more than 120 people housed across a five-county region since April, but there’s more work to do.
Darcie Pickren told commissioners she saw the issue from a different angle, arguing the greater problem is addiction, not homelessness.
Other commenters criticized city leaders for what they called a lack of progress in addressing homelessness, or not doing more sooner — Addie Neste told commissioners she was homeless for more than 10 years, blamed them for letting her be in that situation for so long and blasted them for debating short-term solutions.
Some audience members said any plans to clear the Pines would only cause more harm to people staying there.
“Let’s talk about affordable housing first, emergency shelter next, and then we can clear the Pines,” Kevin Summers said. “It just shows a real disconnect, that you don’t know these people living there as fellow humans.”
Jennifer Holm, Traverse City Police Department’s social worker, agreed Safe Harbor does have capacity and other issues. But she’s seen how people without shelter struggle to stay in recovery.
Goodwill Northern Michigan CEO Dan Buron echoed this, adding that people in shelters are healthier, more likely to seek treatment, more likely to find a job and stabilize their lives. Ultimately, the conversation is not about money, buildings or organizations, but people, he said.
Some audience members were similarly skeptical about the city backing the Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness’ goal to build enough permanent supportive housing to effectively end chronic homelessness by 2028. Halladay-Schmandt previously said that would take more than 70 units across a five-county area.
Summers said the resolution lacked any metric of success, and seemed like another imaginary solution cooked up by the “nonprofit-industrial complex.” Another audience member was even more blunt, calling the resolution a “nothingburger.”
Commissioner Tim Werner, who said he brought the resolution forward out of impatience, said those are fair criticisms. But, he added, the resolution is a starting point, and something that gives the commission the impetus to add something to the city’s next budget to advance the goal forward — Shamroe agreed and said it also makes clear to city staff what commissioners want done.
Permanent supportive housing is “the whole enchilada,” giving residents the services and connections they need to make lasting changes and achieve the highest success rate in positive long-term outcomes, Commissioner Jackie Anderson said.
Commissioner Mi Stanley said her experience volunteering in Kalamazoo showed how the housing model works to help the chronically homeless.
“Putting our will behind this as an elected body demonstrates our commitment to our unsheltered neighbors — and they are our neighbors,” Stanley said.