I recently began helping two elderly women experiencing homelessness in our community. Their situation opened my eyes to something much bigger: the lack of safe, affordable, income-based housing available to seniors living on fixed or extremely limited incomes.

These women are not alone.

Across Grand Rapids and Kent County, seniors who have worked their entire lives can find themselves one emergency, medical crisis, rent increase, or loss of income away from homelessness. Social Security and disability income often simply do not stretch far enough to cover today’s housing costs.

A senior should not have to become homeless before we decide they deserve a safe place to live.

We are asking the City of Grand Rapids, Kent County, local housing authorities, developers, and community partners to make expanding deeply affordable senior housing a priority.

We are calling for:

More income-based senior housing units specifically affordable to seniors living on Social Security, SSI, disability, or other fixed incomes.
Expansion of deeply affordable housing, not simply apartments marketed as “affordable” but still out of reach for the lowest-income seniors.
Better use of available public resources, including public land, housing funds, rental assistance, tax incentives, and federal/state housing programs.
Partnerships between government, nonprofits, developers, and senior-service organizations to create sustainable housing solutions.
Supportive services and case management that help seniors navigate applications, benefits, transportation, healthcare, and other barriers to maintaining housing.
Meaningful input from seniors and people who have experienced homelessness when developing housing solutions.
Transparency and measurable progress, including publicly reporting how many new deeply affordable senior units are being created and whether those units are actually accessible to the seniors who need them most.
This isn’t about political parties. It’s about our neighbors, grandparents, parents, and community members.

We should not accept a system where a senior can spend decades contributing to their community and then, when they can no longer afford housing, be told there simply isn’t anywhere for them to go.

The two women I am currently helping made this issue personal for me. But I don’t want their story to end with simply finding two people a temporary solution.

I want their situation to be a catalyst for change.

Grand Rapids has an opportunity to become a community where seniors don’t have to choose between rent, food, medication, and a safe place to sleep.

Please sign this petition and help us tell our local leaders: Grand Rapids needs more deeply affordable, income-based senior housing.

Every senior deserves a safe place to call home.