HOLLAND, Mich. — More than 1,000 people experienced homelessness in Ottawa County in 2025, and eight local organizations have come together to address the crisis through a collaborative effort called Project Home.
Emergency shelter use in Ottawa County has doubled since 2022. According to the 2026 Point in Time count, 316 people are currently unsheltered in the region.
WATCH: 8 organizations unite to tackle homelessness in Ottawa County with Project Home
"Housing affordability … it's really high in Ottawa County. The challenges, if you are making a fixed income, it's been huge. People having to choose between rent and food," Jessica Pressley said.
Pressley, director of housing at nonprofit Community Action House, said the situation has been worsening.
"We were seeing an increase. A lot of people were starting to experience the unsheltered homelessness, which is living outdoors in a place not meant for human habitation," Pressley said.
Project Home connects Holland and Zeeland residents in crisis to a coordinated network of services spanning emergency shelter, eviction prevention, recovery support, and behavioral health.
Christina Fort, director of the Lakeshore Housing Alliance, said her organization serves as the convener in the effort.
"It's more of a framework than a program or a product of anything, and what it does is really has broken down barriers, has decreased the siloing of organizations to continue to collaborate about how we can solve homelessness in the community," Fort said.
The eight participating organizations are Community Action House, Community Mental Health Ottawa County, Family Promise of the Lakeshore, Good Samaritan, Gateway Mission, Reach for Recovery, the Salvation Army Holland, and the Lakeshore Housing Alliance.
"What Project Home does is really looks at the person and really assesses, like, these are the gaps, what are the analysis of the gaps, bringing those community partners together to support and walk forward together as a community," Fort said.
The coalition has already produced results. Gateway Mission expanded with its new Eastport Men's Center, nearly doubling its capacity.
Family Promise of the Lakeshore has helped nine families find stability through its Master Leasing Family Shelter program. Good Samaritan's Ottawa County Eviction Prevention Program has assisted 718 county neighbors over the past two years.
The Lakeshore Housing Alliance has also bolstered its efforts by bringing on its first dedicated data administrator, a move aimed at strengthening accountability across the local homeless response system.
Construction is nearly complete at Salvation Army Holland for Community Action House's Community Kitchen — the first phase of a co-located Community Resource Hub. Rather than navigating multiple locations, unsheltered neighbors will be able to access food, showers, case management, housing navigation, and health referrals all under one roof.
"That's really a place meant for community as a whole, that anybody in the community can come in and get a free meal," Pressley said.
"It's a place that's really meant for getting that meal, getting in the door, but also an opportunity for somebody to maybe meet with somebody, like on our outreach team, to, hey, let's build a relationship, let's get connected."
The Lakeshore Leadership Council and Lakeshore Housing Alliance launched Project Home in early 2025. Since then, the initiative has relied on support from multiple community partners, with Heart of West Michigan United Way playing a dual role as both a fundraising and community partner.
"I'd love to thank our community foundations of Holland and Zeeland, and then also the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, who has also stepped into the space by providing funding, and then also Heart of West Michigan United Way," Fort said.
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