If housing project loses federal funds, Kalamazoo County could step in
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — A long-planned housing project for people in addiction recovery could be at risk after federal budget cuts. Kalamazoo County commissioners may allocate $2 million to help fill the gap.
Since 2018, developers have been working to address a critical housing need in Kalamazoo. Edison Community Partners has been working with Kalamazoo County agencies, city leaders and others to bring Kalamazoo Recovery Housing, or , to reality. The development looks to support people recovering from opioid and methamphetamine addiction through counseling, treatment, training programs and more on the 6.6-acre campus, according to the developer's website.
The project hit a significant block with the loss of federal funding. EPA Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funds from the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act backed part of the project. An signed by President Donald Trump during his first day in office cut the funding stream for the program. That cancelled the cash flow to projects like Kalrecovery.
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On Tuesday, the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners reviewed the possibility of allocating $2 million of opioid settlement money into the project.
'To make that $4 million hole they need at least $2 million immediately, or they are going to lose out on (Low-Income Housing Tax Credit) money. The whole project would pretty much crumble,' said the board's Vice Chair John Taylor.
He said while he approves of the move, there is some hesitancy of increasing the county's share in a developer's project.
'That being said if we don't act on this, the city of Kalamazoo put in money on this, the state put in money on this, everybody, a large number of funders have come together to try and make this project whole,' he said.
According to the meeting documents, Edison Community Partners have $12.1 million in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from the state. $1.2 millon was provided by the City of Kalamazoo through American Rescue Plan Act funds and $876,000 is provided by the county's Homes for All millage. To maintain the LIHTC, developers will need a new funding commitment before an August deadline.
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Board Chair Jen Strebs said the project fits the requirements to benefit from the settlement fund. She added that the goals of the project are aligned with what the money is meant for.
'The question about a development really should be about what does it accomplish and how affordable is it? This was one of the few developments that we looked at across our portfolios that prioritized much more deeply affordable units and also addressed the issues related to substance use. So, for me it's a heck yes,' said Strebs.
The county is projected to have $4.78 million in the opioid settlement fund. Strebs said that amount is expected to grow under future settlement agreements.
News 8 attempted to contact Edison Community Partners by phone and email but has yet to hear back. A final vote on the allocation is expected to take place at a later commission meeting.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Sometimes a Parade Is Just a Parade
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Here's what to know about American Samoans in Alaska who are being prosecuted after trying to vote
WHITTIER, Alaska (AP) — FOR MOVEMENT AT 9 A.M. EASTERN ON SATURDAY, 6/7. WITH VOTING-AMERICAN SAMOANS MAINBAR. They were born on U.S. soil, are entitled to U.S. passports and allowed to serve in the U.S. military, but 11 people in a small Alaska town are facing criminal charges after they tried to participate in a fundamental part of American democracy: voting. The defendants, who range in age from their 20s to their 60s, were all born in American Samoa — the only U.S. territory where residents are not automatically granted citizenship at birth. Prosecutors say they falsely claimed American citizenship when registering or trying to vote. The cases are highlighting another side of the debate over exaggerated allegations of voting by noncitizens, as well as what it means to be born on American soil, as President Donald Trump tries to redefine birthright citizenship by ending it for children of people who are in the country illegally. 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While Smith appeals the charges against her, the state filed charges against the others in April. The state argues that Smith's false claim of citizenship was intentional, and her claim to the contrary was undercut by the clear language on the voter application forms she filled out in 2020 and 2022. The forms said that if the applicant did not answer yes to being over 18 years old and a U.S. citizen, 'do not complete this form, as you are not eligible to vote.' Why can't American Samoans vote in the U.S.? The 14th Amendment to the Constitution promises U.S. citizenship to those born on U.S. soil and subject to its jurisdiction. American Samoa has been U.S. soil since 1900, when several of its chiefs ceded their land and vowed allegiance to the United States. For that reason, Smith's lawyers argue, American Samoans must be recognized as U.S. citizens by birthright, and they should be allowed to vote in the U.S. But the islands' residents have never been so considered — Congress declined to extend birthright citizenship to American Samoa in the 1930s — and many American Samoans don't want it. They worry that it would disrupt their cultural practices, including communal land ownership. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals cited that in 2021 when it declined to extend automatic citizenship to those born in American Samoa, saying it would be wrong to force citizenship on those who don't want it. The Supreme Court declined to review the decision. People born in all other U.S. territories — Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam — are U.S. citizens. They can vote in U.S. elections if they move to a state. American Samoans can participate in local elections on American Samoa, including for a nonvoting representative in Congress. Have other states prosecuted American Samoans for trying to vote? Supporters of the American Samoans in Whittier have called the prosecutions unprecedented. One of Smith's attorneys, Neil Weare, suggested authorities are going after 'low-hanging fruit' in the absence of evidence that illegal immigrants frequently cast ballots in U.S. elections. Even state-level investigations have found voting by noncitizens to be exceptionally rare. In Oregon, officials inadvertently registered nearly 200 American Samoan residents to vote when they got their driver's licenses under the state's motor-voter law. Of those, 10 cast ballots in an election, according to the Oregon Secretary of State's office, but officials found they did not intend to break the law and no crime was committed. In Hawaii, one resident who was born in American Samoa, Sai Timoteo, ran for the state Legislature in 2018 before learning she wasn't allowed to hold public office or vote. She also avoided charges. Is there any legislation to fix this? American Samoans can become U.S. citizens — a requirement not just for voting, but for certain jobs, such as those that require a security clearance. However, the process can be costly and cumbersome. Given that many oppose automatic citizenship, the territory's nonvoting representative in Congress, Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, has introduced legislation that would streamline the naturalization of American Samoans who do wish to become U.S. citizens. The bill would allow U.S. nationals in outlying U.S. territories — that is, American Samoa — to be naturalized without relocating to one of the U.S. states. It would also allow the Department of Homeland Security to waive personal interviews of U.S. nationals as part of the process and to reduce fees for them. ___ Bohrer reported from Juneau, Alaska, and Johnson from Seattle.
