KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Veteran homelessness in Kent County has been solved.
This does not mean there are never veterans in the county without homes, but rather the county has the ability to house this population so their periods of homelessness can be rare, brief and non-recurring.
For nearly a decade, Kent County has met this federal benchmark for ending veteran homelessness, often referred to as Functional Zero.
On Veterans Day, I met with a man who serves as a testament to this reality.
"I think the misconception is this — if you're homeless and you're a veteran, you're a lazy bum and you just want to be out there in the streets," Ray King said to FOX 17.
"Nothing could be further from the truth," he said. "These are good, decent people."
An army veteran, King returned to the Grand Rapids area after more than a decade away. For a time, he had no place to call his own and lived in temporary housing.
As temperatures dropped and winter deepened, King, approaching retirement age, tried to find a sustainable source of income.
"I'm finding Social Security, I'm finding funds through DHS," he said.
Community Rebuilders found him.
"It was awe inspiring. It was heartfelt," King said. "It touched me deeply, and if I think about it too much, you might get a tear out of me, so I'm going to stop right there."
A Grand Rapids nonprofit, Community Rebuilders helps families and individuals find housing, including veterans.
In 2017, its work played a part in solving veteran homelessness in Kent County, a benchmark set by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Since then, Community Rebuilders has helped maintain that mark, serving 1,402 veterans in the county over the past eight years.
"You forget, after the years, the amount of work and dedication that it takes and that it still takes," Vice President Anna Diaz said.
"It takes a team," she said. "It takes housing providers and partners to be able to bring resources to the table."
Community Rebuilders keeps a by-name list of the veterans in Kent County who enter the homeless system and tries to ensure no one stays on the list for more than 90 days.
To this end, they assign case managers to individual veterans, visit homeless encampments one or more times a week, collaborate with area nonprofits and more.
While permanent housing is the priority, the nonprofit also relies on temporary and emergency housing.
In 2025, they have so far housed 167 veterans, an 11% increase from the 150 they housed in 2024. They also say there are currently 29 veterans in Kent County who are chronically homeless.
"Staff roles change, staff positions change," Diaz said. "But we need to be able to be communicate and be committed to the work."
At Community Rebuilders, this commitment generally means veterans are able to move into a new home within 40 days, well below the 90-day goal.
"I am in this work because I believe in change, and I believe we should end homelessness for all of our community members," Diaz said.
"If anyone can achieve an end to homelessness for all populations, it is Kent County," she said.
Ottawa
Georgetown Township WWII veteran shares testimony, recalls top secret radar unit
Two years after he was housed by the nonprofit, King has a seat at its table, serving on its Veteran Action Board.
"We're not just ex-soldiers. We're still in the fight," he said. "This is America, and we believe in it, and we're fighting for it every day."
"Our resilience is what matters, and that's the stuff that American soldiers are made out of, and that's why we're strong."
