Where Are The Housing Pods Kalamazoo Promised For The Homeless?

The city of Kalamazoo and a non-profit (HRI) received big headlines last year when they stated they were using taxpayer funds to purchase 50 small living “pods”. These “pods” were going to help some homeless during Michigan’s brutal winter.

Now MLive is reporting that most of those pods, which were supposed to be delivered before winter came will not be delivered. Of the 50 “pods” they purchased only 12 will be delivered this winter, the exact date of delivery is still unknown. It is troublesome that only 24% will be delivered in time for Michigan’s brutal winter.

Housing Resources Inc. (HRI) Executive Director Michelle Davis told MLive that the company they contracted with to provide these “pods” cannot provide most of them because of global logistic issues. Michelle Davis stated that the Kalamazoo “pods” are currently housed in Portland Oregon.

You would think that housing “pods” that are meant to keep people out of the winter elements and warm in Kalamazoo Michigan in January and February would take priority in shipping.

Michelle Davis stated”

The plan is to have a phase one rollout so that we could at least have some sort of a phase one winter emergency plan…and we’re really, really hoping with all our hearts that they get here quick so that we could at least have, even if the site is unable to be prepped, we could at least get something to the city that they can approve to get the initial delivery set up with maybe some on-site amenities, of showers and bathrooms that exist in the building.

When these 12 pods are delivered HRI stated that their plans are to create “A Kzoo Pod Community – A Place of Dignity”. A potential site for that community would be in Kalamazoo’s Edison neighborhood which is located on the east side of Bronson Hospital. HRI officials stated the “Kzoo Pod Community – A Place of Dignity” would not only include the “pods” but also “additional bathrooms, private showers and a common space for residents”.

Let’s hope these 12 “pods” arrive soon and the remaining 38 get to Kalamazoo as quickly as possible.

How could they not expedite the creation and delivery of these homeless "pods" for the states that have such cold winter weather? Or is there really something else behind this delay?