WOOD Radio Local News

WOOD Radio Local News

WOOD Radio Local News

 

Kent Co. seeing increase in homelessness

Kent County housing advocates say the area is seeing an increase in its homeless population.

Degage Ministries executive director Thelma Ensink says they are seeing a "massive increase" in the number of women sleeping in their Grand Rapids Heartside neighborhood shelter in the last five years.

Ensink says in December 2020 they had an average of 35 women in the shelter every night and now they are average 110 women a night.

The county's point in time count tracks homelessness and has seen a 56% increase between 2015 and 2025.

Officials say part of the increase is due to the community getting better at identifying those who are homeless but part of it a true increase in the population.

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