Kent County shelters are filled to capacity, risking leaving hundreds without access to shelter services during winter (Courtesy, pxhere.com)
By WKTV Staff
deborah@wktv.org
Homelessess is on the rise (Courtesy, pxhere.com)
Homelessness is on the rise, and there is an overwhelming demand for shelter and other services as winter approaches.
According to the latest data, the number of individuals and families needing shelter far exceeds the supply of shelter beds in Kent County. Based on trends and current bed capacity in our community, an estimated 100 to 300 people could be without access to shelter services on the coldest winter nights.
According to the Point in Time count, there were 723 individuals experiencing homelessness in Kent County in 2018. In 2023, that number sharply increased to 1,239 individuals experiencing homelessness.
Current shelters cannot sustain increase in need
Non-profit leaders of Dégagé Ministries, along with Mel Trotter Ministries, Family Promise and AYA Youth Collective fear they will not have enough shelter and provisions to accommodate the increased demand for shelter during the winter months.
Even with the new bunks at Dégagé, they are unable to meet the current need for beds (Courtesy, Dégagé Ministries)
Dégagé provides the only emergency shelter for women in the area. They are seeing up to 125 women a night in the shelter, many experiencing homelessness for the first time.
They are doing all they can to make arrangements to accommodate 150 women per night. Funding limitations, however, will make it difficult to sustain that figure during the winter.
The leaders of Mel Trotter Ministries, Dégagé Ministries, Family Promise of West Michigan, and AYA Youth Collective, alongside the Grand Rapids Area Coalition to End Homelessness, are releasing an open letter to the West Michigan community.
The letter below outlines the need for this community and its leaders to identify both near and long-term solutions to address the homelessness crisis.
A plea to the public for support
To the West Michigan community:
We present this message to our community with a sense of great concern and urgency as our region’s coldest winter months are fast approaching.
Economic hardships, the loss of supportive resources from COVID, and a shortage of affordable housing have combined to worsen the already difficult situation facing men, women, youth, and families experiencing homelessness in West Michigan. The shifting landscape is presenting an increasingly dire situation for people living on the street and an overwhelming demand for the non-profit service agencies that provide compassionate care, meals, services, and shelter to those in need.
Unable to meet the demand
Shortages include location, space and staffing (Courtesy, pxhere.com)
Making matters even more challenging is that just like other employers, some non-profit agencies are facing a worker shortage and a funding shortfall. Adding temporary shelter beds this winter, as has happened in the past, is a significant challenge because there are simply not enough workers to ensure a safe environment for overflow guests.
What’s more, the funding needed to provide additional staffing and a location for overflow shelter space is not presently available. Therefore, non-profits simply cannot meet the demand.
We are committed to providing compassionate support to as many of our neighbors in need as possible, while maintaining a safe environment for all. However, when the population growth of individuals experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity in our community far exceeds the limited amount of shelter space, we are faced with difficult decisions and risk loss of life.
Our collective community efforts to address the homelessness crisis must include both near and long-term solutions. Of immediate concern is the urgent need to find shelter workers and shelter bed space. At the same time, we remain focused on initiatives to increase affordable housing, create more access to mental health resources, strengthen workforce development and employment opportunities, and more.
The rising issue of homelessness is one facing our entire country, and an issue that is of paramount importance in West Michigan. Collaborative work between agencies, governmental partners, and community leaders is happening to create a long-term cohesive strategy. As non-profits, we are doing great work, but we can do even more with increased funding, more staff, and more shelter rooms to meet this growing need.
Limited shelter space increases risk of loss of life (Courtesy, pxhere.com)
How you can help save lives
With your help, we can save lives this winter by protecting unhoused individuals, youth, children, and families from extreme, life-threatening temperatures. To learn more or join us in our efforts to combat homelessness, visit us at our websites below.
We remain resolute in our commitment to serve those in need in our community, and we stand ready to continue partnering with our community leaders in taking steps toward finding a sustainable solution that benefits the entire region.
Dégagé Ministries is excited to host Unhoused, a film series on the causes, realities, and solutions to homelessness. The event series will include two films shown at Wealthy Theater on June 22 and July 20 from 6-9 p.m., followed by an outdoor community celebration at Dégagé Ministries, 144 Division Ave S, on Aug. 10 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Each film will be followed by a Q&A with representatives from various organizations, including Mel Trotter Ministries, Family Promise, and Network180. Grand Rapids Poet Laureate Kyd Kane will moderate all sessions.
The film series will culminate in an Outdoor Community Celebration on Aug. 10 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., outside Dégagé Ministries at the corner of Cherry and Sheldon Avenue. This celebration will feature local food trucks and a live poetry reading by Kane. Food and drink will be available for purchase at all three events, but are otherwise free for the public.
The first film featured, Us & Them, documents ten years in the lives of four individuals facing homelessness. Directed by Krista Loughton and Jennifer Abbott, the film explores the challenges of homelessness, and the powerful transformations created through human connection.
The second film, The Public, continues the theme by retelling a story of civil disobedience in Cincinnati, as people turned to a public library for shelter from the outdoor elements. Both films seek to explore and educate the general population about the complexities of homelessness in our community, and wider society.
“Homelessness is a multi-faceted issue with widespread effects in our city,” says Dégagé Ministries Executive Director Thelma Ensink. “Our goal is to bring the complexities of homelessness to light, and promote education and conversation in our community.”
Increasing more affordable housing would reduce the need for shelters, according to Family Promise of Grand Rapids officials.(pxhere.com)
By Emerson Wigand Capital News Service
As winter approaches, local officials worry that a reported drop in homelessness is misleading or temporary based on short-term pandemic relief.
Michigan’s Campaign to End Homelessness recently reported a 19% decrease in those seeking emergency shelter since 2019.
“Those numbers don’t tell you that homelessness is down,” said Cheryl Schuch, the chief executive officer for Family Promise of Grand Rapids. “What they tell you is that the number of people being served by our shelter system is down.”
Family Promise operates the only family shelter in Kent County. There’s been an increase in families facing homelessness here, Schuch said. Collecting data on the issue can be challenging, especially in the case of families.
Despite the reported decrease in homelessness, Family Promise is at capacity, she said.
Full shelters aren’t limited to West Michigan.
“I don’t see that the homeless population is going down,” said Michelle Munn, the case manager at New Hope Center, in Cadillac. “The numbers look good, but it’s only because there’s extra funds right now for COVID.”
New Hope Center is the only shelter provider in Wexford and Missaukee counties. Its shelters are generally full, with vacancies filled quickly by walk-ins or those on a waiting list, Munn said.
While Munn said she thinks this drop is positive, she worries about what will happen when pandemic relief programs end.
COVID impacts were a large part of the statewide decrease, said Eric Hufnagel, the executive director of the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness.
The biggest help was the eviction moratorium, which ended in August, Hufnagel said. Another factor was the Covid Emergency Rental Assistance funds that are still available.
“That was the No. 1 reason we saw our numbers decline,” Hufnagel said. “We believe that’s slowing down what could be a flood of evictions.”
Imagine a front door and back door, Hufnagel said: The front door is how people come into homelessness, the back door is how people are rehoused.
“Our hope is that we can put a dent in the flow through the front door,” he said. “The challenge we are seeing now is that back door.”
Michigan’s affordable housing stock is the weakest it’s been in decades, Hufnagel said. That means higher prices and rental rates for the housing that is available.
It’s even harder for people to move to new housing because there are fewer options, and existing options cost more.
“The majority of our families can’t afford housing even though they’re working,” Schuch said. “That has really been magnified in West Michigan.”
Family Hope of Grand Rapids has been working with Eastbrook Homes which is developing more affordable homes for the area. Also, Holland Home sold its former Fulton Manor to Hope Network, which plans to turn the former nursing home into a 120 affordable home. The nonprofit housing corporation ICCF is currently working on several affordable housing projects.
The pandemic has decreased shelter space in part due to fewer volunteers to staff facilities, Hufnagel said. Additionally, distancing recommendations have reduced available space in some shelters.
Rising COVID-19 cases adds to these concerns, said Susan Cancro, the executive director of Lansing-based Advent House Ministries. Increasing positive cases could halt new admittances for areas with limited shelters.
“That’s a problem for those on the street who are homeless,” Cancro said. “Especially as the weather becomes more cold and wet, and there’s nowhere to go.”
Schuch said it’s important to increase access to temporary housing to keep people safe for now.
“We have families staying in cars and other places,” Schuch said. “We have to make sure there’s adequate shelter available.”
Without more affordable housing, those problems will only get worse, Schuch said.
“Only investing in shelter doesn’t make sense. They won’t need our shelter if there’s enough housing.”
WKTV Journal In Focus’s audio only podcast of a Community Conversation on Homelessness featured Kentwood City Commissioner and community advocate Emily Bridson, at left, moderating along with Marshall Kilgore and, from left, panelists Cheryl Schuch, Kent County Commissioner Stephen Wooden, James White and Wende Randall. (WKTV)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal’s In Focus series of podcasts, we bring you City of Kentwood Commissioner Emily Bridson’s Community Conversation on Homelessness, held Sunday, Nov. 10, at Broad Leaf Local Beer in Kentwood.
The Keynote Speaker of the public event was Judge William G. Kelly, the chief judge for Kentwood’s 62B District Court. The event was moderated by Bridson and Marshall Kilgore, Western Michigan Director for United Precinct Delegates.
The panelists included Wende Randall, director of Kent County Essential Needs Task Force; Kent County Commissioner Stephen Wooden; James White of Cinnaire; and Cheryl Schuch, of Family Promise of Grand Rapids.
Schuch, during the talk and after while addressing WKTV, talked about the realities of family homeliness in our area.
“Families who are experiencing homelessness are everyone we see in our everyday life,” she said. “They are neighbors. They go to school with us. They work with us at companies here in town. They just don’t want you to know that.
“So when you talk about bringing their voice to the community, you just need to give them an opportunity to share and not be judged by fact that they are experiencing something like that.”
And Schuch’s voice was just a small part of the discussion at the forum and available in the podcast.
A part of her continuing Second Sunday community conversations, City of Kentwood Commissioner Emily Bridson will host a Community Conversation on Homelessness Sunday, Nov. 10, from 2-4 p.m., at Broad Leaf Local Beer.
The Keynote Speaker of the public event will be Judge William G. Kelly, the chief judge for Kentwood’s 62B District Court.
The panel will include Wende Randall, director of Kent County Essential Needs Task Force; Kent County Commissioner Stephen Wooden; James White of Cinnaire; and Cheryl Schuch, of Family Promise of Grand Rapids.
The event will be moderated by Bridson and Marshall Kilgore, Western Michigan Director for United Precinct Delegates. WKTV will record the discussion and post it on our WKTV Journal In Focus Podcast Channel.
“The more people I spoke with about housing, the more I realized we have several great community organizations working very hard in this area to make an impact,” Bridson said in her monthly community newsletter. “Homelessness doesn’t have a simple solution, but it does need a regional approach by various members of the community sitting down to compare our efforts, bring more awareness to all and work on more active solutions to keep chipping away at this issue.
“This issue is especially important to me because it disproportionately affects women, people of color and children.”
Bridson said in the community newsletter that she asked for information on homeless students in Kentwood Public Schools and found that, in 2018, Kentwood Public Schools had 283 students that were homeless, while Grand Rapids Public Schools had 671 students homeless.
She also states that Kentwood does not have a homeless shelter.
Single women comprise one of the fastest growing homeless populations in greater Grand Rapids, and Mel Trotter Ministries (MTM) has experienced a 40 percent increase of single women seeking emergency shelter over the last year. Many of the women seeking shelter are living with mental illness or are survivors of domestic violence or other traumatic situations.
Typically, the 25 beds designated for single women at Mel Trotter Ministries are enough to accommodate the need, however, MTM has been using an overflow gym with mattresses placed on the floor to accommodate the increase in numbers. The need for additional beds will become even more urgent as the weather turns colder and MTM serves upwards of 500 men, women and children each night in winter.
Mel Trotter Ministries is asking for community support to raise $25,000 by Oct. 31. The funds will help build and purchase custom wooden beds, replace old mattresses, and supply new linens and pillows.
“It is difficult for a woman who is suffering to … believe that they are loved and valued while sleeping on a mattress on the cold floor,” said Dennis Van Kampen, CEO of Mel Trotter Ministries. “As winter approaches … we’re asking our generous community to join us in this effort.”
Next Step of West Michigan — a nonprofit that provides work for individuals coming out of prison and rehab — is building 54 beds for the Mission. The beds will be delivered to the Mission at the end of October.
“All of us at Next Step are thankful for the good work Mel Trotter is doing in our community,” said Scott Jonkhoff, Founding Director. “The opportunity to build bunks beds for the women’s shelter is a great encouragement to us and we pray for those who will use these beds, that they may find rest for both body and soul.”
Any money raised beyond the designated goal will help replace and upgrade other beds throughout the Mission and support operations and expenses for the Mission.
Since 2014, more than 880 mayors, governors, and other state and local officials have answered the call of the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness, pledging to do all they can to ensure their communities succeed.
It’s working.
Current homeless veterans have been connected to resources to secure housing and future vets can be assured a plan to secure them housing after it is known they are homeless.
On September 26, area agencies working to attain this goal — including the Grand Rapids Area Coalition to End Homelessness, housing providers, federal, state, government officials, veterans, and local partners — celebrated their successes for their part in ensuring that homelessness is both rare and brief for Veterans in Kent County at an awards ceremony on the campus of Calvin College.
has identified all Veterans experiencing homelessness;
provides shelter immediately to any Veteran experiencing unsheltered homelessness who wants it;
provides service-intensive transitional housing only in limited instances;
has capacity to assist Veterans to swiftly move into permanent housing; and
has resources, plans, partnerships, and system capacity in place should any Veteran become homeless or be at risk of homelessness in the future.
“It took a team of dedicated, caring community members to rearrange structures and resources so that Kent County can ensure that no Veteran will remain homeless in our community,” Beech shared. “We must honor those who have served our country and use what we have learned in this process to end homelessness for all populations.”
In a letter proclaiming Kent County reached Functional Zero, Matthew Doherty, the Executive Director of USICH, spoke of the remarkable efforts of the agencies involved.
“We are confident that the infrastructure and systems you have built will ensure that any Veteran experiencing homelessness in Kent County will get the support they need to quickly obtain a permanent home,” Doherty wrote.
“In its efforts to end veteran homelessness, Kent County has done something remarkable that will serve as a catalyst for other communities working toward this common goal,” MSHDA Executive Director Earl Poleski said. “The State stands ready to assist with the financial, technical and collaborative resources that can help end veteran homelessness here and across our great state.”
Commissioner Tom Antor accepted an award on behalf of the Kent County Board of Commissioners.
“The County staff has shown a great dedication to helping veterans and ending homelessness,” he said.
According to Antor, more than 170 Veterans Affairs Housing Vouchers have been provided in Kent County in recent years.
Kent Intermediate School District estimates that 2,098 school-age children experienced homelessness last school year. These districts include 20 public schools and several private and charter schools in Kent County.
The majority of the services to help struggling families connect to resources are concentrated in downtown Grand Rapids. However, the issue of homelessness reaches beyond the inner city and into rural areas, where a staggering number of families are facing homelessness due to a variety of reasons.
Mel Trotter Ministries (MTM) was invited to form partnerships with organizations in rural areas to address the crisis together; North Kent Connect (formerly North Kent Community Services) and Cedar Springs Public Schools are two of those organizations. MTM felt called to respond by hiring an outreach advocate to build relationships in rural areas. The outreach advocate connects individuals and families in crisis with resources to help them overcome barriers such as a lack of housing, finances, transportation, domestic violence and other issues.
Photo supplied
“As an organization we have come to realize that if there is a need for our services and ministry in areas outside of the core city, it is our responsibility to partner with organizations to meet those needs. This crisis is too big for any one organization or individual, but it’s not too big for all of us to come together and solve,” said Dennis Van Kampen, CEO of Mel Trotter Ministries.
The MTM outreach advocate has weekly office hours at North Kent Connect and at the Cedar Springs Public Schools administration building. The advocate will also provide outreach services to people living in camps and motels.
“Through this partnership, our families have access to the support they need to help them move through homelessness and into the next step of their lives,” said Stacie Voskuil, Director of Special Education and Student Services at CSPS. “The connections and knowledge that MTM brings will have a ripple effect that could help end homelessness in our district. This affiliation will also bring a spotlight to the issue of homelessness within Cedar Springs.”
Last summer, 191 families were on the waiting list to get into emergency shelter in Kent County.
Since our story on Tom Gunnels’s project, Waiting On Division ran on September 6, Gunnels has been keeping busy — visiting and filming people on the streets, setting up art shows at The Collective Artspace on Division and filming musicians jamming at Rocky’s Bar and Grill — all to showcase the talents of the people he has come to know as his friends.
And on Friday, November 18 at 6-9 pm, the public is invited to check out a photography exhibit at The Collective Artspace, 40 Division Ave. S. in Grand Rapids.
The exhibit will showcase Gunnells’s photography from throughout the summer as well as stories of how the photos and friendships came to be.
“I am extremely excited to announce that VAGUE photography will be making a trip up from Kalamazoo to help contribute to this show,” said Gunnels. “He will be doing tintypes of some of our friends and some of the veterans who are currently out on the street.
“Come down, learn more, and maybe meet some cool people along the way,” Gunnels said.
Gunnels does not intend to sell the photos for profit and has limited resources for printing. Anyone with a lead on a resource for discounted printing rates, please message Gunnels on the project page.
To many people, ‘homelessness’ is just a word. Maybe we understand this state of being intellectually and academically, but it’s next to impossible to empathize — unless we’ve experienced similar circumstances or have a friend or family member who has lived on the streets. Putting a real face on this dilemma helps humanize the condition, and that’s what Tom Gunnels’s project, ‘Waiting On Division‘ is all about.
Tom Gunnels (by Tom Gunnels)
You may recognize the name — Gunnels played banjo with local folk band, The Crane Wives for five years (2010-2015) before moving on to work on the Great Lakes Natives music project. Currently, he’s a free-lance photographer and videographer.
Interested in humanitarian efforts since he was a kid, Gunnels originally considered joining the Peace Corps to help disadvantaged people in other countries. Then one day, he realized that there were people in dire straits right in our own backyard.
It doesn’t take much
Earlier this year, he began documenting his encounters with homeless folks by writing a nearly daily diary on Facebook, taking still photos and videotaping people’s stories. Some days he doesn’t unpack his equipment. It all depends on whether or not people feel like being filmed or photographed. Some days are better than others.
“Several of [the street people] are now my friends,” said Gunnels. “They’re people with feelings, just like you and me, it’s just that their circumstances have one way or another led them down this path.”
I shadowed Gunnels one day as he made his “rounds” visiting the street people of downtown Grand Rapids. Soft-spoken and unassuming, he walks with a heavy backpack containing camera and video equipment on his back, trudging through downtown everyday on a personal mission to help folks less fortunate than him by listening, offering a hug when needed and making sure his friends are OK.
Portrait of David by Tom Gunnels
“Sometimes, all someone needs is a listening ear or a hug or just a kind word,” he said. “Such simple things make a huge difference in someone’s life. It really doesn’t take much.”
He carried a book with him, Ending Homelessness: Why We Haven’t, How We Can, edited by Donald W. Burnes and David L. DiLeo, as well as a blank journal and a scan disk. He planned to give the journal to a friend who loves to write. The scan disk was for another friend whose camera needed more memory. He’s been in touch with Burnes, who wants Gunnels to be involved with a major project.
The day was hot and muggy and it was only 9 am. Less than an hour in, I was already dripping and wilting. How do people tolerate this day after day after day? I just can’t fathom it.
What is going on in our world? To say this is not okay would be a major understatement. ~Tom Gunnels
“This project is so much more about process than it is anything else,” Gunnels wrote in a Facebook post. “The process of walking downtown with all of the gear, being recognizable on the street as ‘that guy who is filming.’ I try to make a morning walk downtown every day that I can, just to say hi and maybe catch someone who has been wanting to film, but maybe just waiting for the right day.”
Puritan values still rule
Homelessness in Grand Rapids is a microcosm of what is happening across America, where the impact of 1600s Puritan values still thrives. Many people hold on to the notion that one only needs to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and into the pursuit of the American dream. Those who can’t “deserve” to be destitute, as they are thought to bring no added value to society.
Portrait of Dan by Tom Gunnels
Many homeless folks are disabled or suffer from addiction, some are war veterans, all face social disadvantages that go far beyond the lack of a safe and suitable home. They have reduced access to private and public services, as well as limited access to vital necessities such as healthcare and dental services. They are often seen as unsuitable for employment and their travel options are few.
Getting proper help when one is homeless can seem insurmountable. First, you have to know what services are available. That may take some time to figure out if you’re new in town or mentally ill, as many homeless folks are. Or perhaps you’ve been homeless for a few years and have given up on “the system,” but for whatever reason, today you’re going to give it another shot. Either way, you’ll need to fill out the correct forms. If you don’t have the proper I.D. — like a Social Security card or birth certificate — you can’t apply for basic social services.
If you don’t get it right that day, you’ll have to start all over again. The process is demeaning, time-consuming and frustrating.
On a more basic, day-to-day level, homeless folks are discriminated against at every turn. People cross the street to avoid them. Access to drinking water is limited, even on the hottest days, and some people suffer from dehydration as a result. Access to restrooms is another huge problem.
Then there is the matter of trespassing and loitering. Gunnels showed me a small patch of grass between a building and a fence. It was maybe eight square feet.
“See how small this space is,” he said. “A couple of my friends were just standing here the other day, not bothering anybody, when the owner of the property came out and threatened to call the cops.”
No Sitting
No Public Restrooms. No Soliciting. Thank You.
Moving onto the sidewalk was not an option.
“They tell them that it’s still trespassing,” said Gunnels. “Now, if I were to stand here for a while, that’s OK, because I don’t look homeless.”
Everybody is waiting
‘Waiting On Division’ is not simply about a street in downtown Grand Rapids.
“It’s about division in every sense of the word,” said Gunnels. “What divides us as people, as humans.”
One observation became apparent to Gunnels early on: Everybody was waiting for something, whether waiting in line for food, to get in a shelter or waiting for a social services facility to open.
“There’s just a lot of waiting,” said Gunnels. He was convinced that one of the first people he met was just waiting for someone to be his friend.
I was with Gunnels when his friend, Michael offered up some photography equipment. Michael has some camera lenses in storage and wants to give them to Gunnels — for free. This, from a man who has little to nothing in the way of possessions.
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Gunnels said he sees countless such acts of giving and selflessness on the street. And he noted that many street people are surprised when Gunnels tells them he’ll be back and then returns. They’re so used to people blowing them off that a simple gesture of showing up moves them to tears.
Later on our walk, Gunnels introduced me to Amber and her friend, George. Amber looked rough around the edges. She was in pain and told Gunnels that she had pancreatitis — probably a result of her heavy drinking — and would be going to the hospital later in the day. Gunnels spent a good amount of time with her, listening and offering support. I found out later that Gunnels gave Amber a cell phone so that she could call him if she needed anything.
Such simple gestures as this go a long way.
“Amber writes poetry when she can, but it’s easy to lose things on the street,” said Gunnels. “It’s easy to lose a notebook or have it ruined by the rain, while you’re sleeping outside.”
All I can do is listen, film, be a messenger, and shed a few tears along the way.
On the ‘Waiting On Division’ Facebook page, Gunnels wrote, “It’s easy to lose things like pencils and paper, or even motivation to write. Motivation lost because somebody gave you a black eye and a swollen jaw, like Amber received just a few weeks ago. Motivation lost because of dehydration and difficulty staying in the shade on a 92-degree day, or out of the rain during a mid-summer thunderstorm.”
(To see Gunnels’s film of Amber reading her poem, ‘I’m a Bum,’ go here.)
Many of the people Gunnels meets are initially shy to be photographed, but once they get to know him, they open up.
“When I first met a man named Henry, he didn’t want my camera out,” Gunnels said. “After meeting him a few more times, he apologized because he said he thought he was rude towards me, and he then asked me to take his photo.
“This time, we were all hanging out and he asked if I would take my camera out again, so I did.”
Making a difference
“I guess I just hope that by explaining what I see and hear, I hope that others will hear and these stories make their way to somebody who can step up and actually help,” said Gunnels. “Respect is an important thing. If it is given, it will be received.”
One by one, Gunnels is making a difference. Since beginning the project earlier this year, Gunnels has helped get three people into rehab. A fourth was considering the option.
Portrait of Red by Tom Gunnels. When Gunnels and Red first met, Red was convinced he had only three months left to live. Gunnels helped get Red into rehab.
Social media plays a huge role in the project. People enjoy seeing themselves in photos and videos and proudly share these with their Facebook friends. The exposure gives them confidence. They feel they are valued.
Many of the folks downtown have a presence on Facebook — yet their own friends may have no idea that the person they see on Facebook has nowhere to live.
Being pushed out
Gunnels’s project comes at a time when friction between business owners and people on the street has steadily been increasing. Business owners in downtown GR see these folks as a nuisance and a deterrent to business. Signs in windows warn, “No Sitting” or “No Public Restrooms, No Soliciting, Thank You.”
