As IPR News reported, Garfield Township officials are pushing back against a regional proposal to consolidate homeless shelters within the township. The Housing and Homelessness Task Force recommended combining facilities, which includes the Goodwill Inn located on Keystone Road.
Garfield Township Supervisor Joe McManus told IPR News that the township opposes shouldering the entire region's services, noting the current shelter operations already generate significant emergency calls and financial impacts. McManus stated the township must approve any expansion through its special use permit.
Traverse City Mayor Amy Shamroe, a member of the task force oversight team, told IPR News that solving homelessness is a regional necessity and that multiple communities share housing and shelter burdens. Task force partners recently met with Garfield Township officials to discuss these concerns, and the township board is scheduled to vote on a resolution formally rejecting the consolidation plan.