Rev. Lenzy Bell, Vice President of the Northside Ministerial Alliance, speaks on the importance of community involvement to change the tide of the epidemic of gun violence among youth. A day of family fun, he says, lets youth and city leaders see the joy and community spirit.
The City of Kalamazoo is working with Kalamazoo County to develop strategies to fund projects to help struggling families to find good housing. The intent is to use $1.2 million in federal funding to connect and amplify existing community resources, and to inspire additional investment in them in order to help struggling families to find good housing.
Meet Felicia Nikia Thomas, founder and coach of the Kalamazoo Blaze, the area's new semi-pro women's basketball team.
“It used to be, we’d list a home on Monday and I’d get a call on Tuesday to show it on Wednesday. Now we list it on Monday and I get a call asking if I can show it in 5 minutes,” says Jim Hess, a Realtor with Jaqua Realtors in Kalamazoo. Prospective buyers -- and sellers -- have to be prepared for a brisk selling market in multiple price ranges, real estate professionals say.
Long-awaited Eastside Square, a mixed-use housing and commercial development on East Main conceived of by residents in partnership with the Kalamazoo County Land Bank, is complete and ready for occupancy.
To honor Father's Day, Al Jones (a father of five himself!) speaks to a cross-section of Kalamazoo men about the rigors and joys of being a dad.
What can be done to help change the often cultural and dated mindsets that stop African Americans from exploring better opportunities? “You have to take them out, quite literally,” of their familiar environments, says Dr. Alford Young. “You have to bring them to other spaces and show them what’s going on.”
“It’s not a meeting telling people, ‘You need to do this, or you need to do that.’ It’s each one of us looking at ourselves and asking what can we do and then will we do that?”
“One of the many things we’ve learned from other communities like this is the need to provide information, allay concerns, and create strong partnerships. There are many misperceptions about safety, security, and how the site will fit with the surrounding neighborhood. We want to address those issues.”
If you think it’s tough for most people to find affordable housing in an already tight housing market, try to find it when you have a criminal record, or when you have a history with substance or alcohol use. That's why HOPE thru Navigation is building Tiny Houses at North Street and Westnedge Avenue. They broke ground Thursday, April 4, 2024.
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