Editor’s note: This article is the first in The Sentinel’s “Homes for the Holidays” series, written by reporter Cassidey Kavathas. Over the past two months, Kavathas and photographer Adam Vander Kooy have spoken to homeless people, visited local organizations and talked to housing experts. In her series, Kavathas explores the challenges caused by a lack of affordable housing, the nonprofits working to combat it, and the solutions that can bring our neighbors back home.
HOLLAND – Kayne West echoes from the stones of the First United Methodist Church in the Netherlands. A handful of people, wrapped in winter coats, huddle around a speaker and a bicycle, trying to escape the howling wind on a chilly November morning. They’re waiting for something.
Maybe that is strange for some churches, but not here. Here, the group is a familiar sight on Fridays, a collection of men and women affected by homelessness waiting to freshen up, meet others and catch their breath.
The First United Methodist Church at 57 W. 10th St. is home to Refresh, a partnership between the sanctuary and Community Action House. The program provides access to showers, clothing and a light meal, as well as postal services for those who need an address to receive checks and essential correspondence.
Margarita Hurley and Jesse Elizalde kiss before leaving Refresh on Friday, November 8, at First United Methodist Church.
Inside, sitting at a table illuminated by fluorescent lights and sunlight through stained glass, Javier Ramirez waits his turn to shower, chats and enjoys a light breakfast.
“It’s mainly a space to stay warm,” Ramirez said. “You get a shower and clothes. You are fed. It gives me joy to know that I am loved and supported.”
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Ramirez, 27, has been affected by homelessness on and off for about three years. He doesn’t have a driver’s license or a car, but he considers himself lucky to have a tent as shelter. As he walks under the Pride Flag that hangs outside the church’s doors, Ramirez said, he can switch off his “survival safety mode.”
Javier Ramirez poses for a photo at Refresh on Friday, November 8, at First United Methodist Church.
A poster next to the breakfast take-out counter reads: “You are smart. You are brave. You are capable. Don’t mention it. You are important. You are accepted. You are enough. You are strong. You are loved. You are worth it.”
“It’s that dignity piece that is so needed,” said LuAnne Stanley Hook, director of community engagement at First United. “I’m shocked at the number of people who came in here and said, ‘You treat me like I’m a normal human being, like no one else does.’ That’s terrible.”
Refresh has a few simple rules: keep the space safe, respect others, do not use illegal contraband, substances or weapons, and visit between scheduled hours. However, there are no moral rules. Residents can come as they are.
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“Even if you use substances, they don’t judge you for it,” Ramirez said. “They want you to get the help you need, support and guidance. They’ve put a lot of effort into us.”
‘I’ve seen people die’
As the cold around Lake Michigan subsides, spaces like Refresh are not only important, but lifesaving. According to Ottawa County officials, there are about 2,000 people experiencing homelessness here; living in cars, tents and storage spaces, or facing the elements head-on.
“Winter is harsh weather, especially when you’re trying to recover from something,” Ramirez said. “I’ve seen a lot of people die in recent winters because it was so cold and they weren’t having a good day, maybe they were drinking or doing drugs.”
Ramirez himself suffers from depression, a problem somewhat caused by his income. He relies on Social Security and Medicaid, but fears the day he loses access.
“It scares me to a point where I don’t know what to do,” he said. “It sucks, but at the same time you have to think positive when you’re out there.”
His main goal? To find reliable housing, but he has difficulty starting over. He hopes local funding will be funneled into housing options for homeless or low-income people, rather than luxury developments.
A volunteer serves hot meals for Refresh at First United Methodist Church.
It’s not a problem that’s getting better.
“We are seeing more and more neighbors needing services,” said Katy Russner-Travis, director of communications at Community Action House. “We have gone through all the steps you can take with people, and there is simply no housing to be found.”
The population in Ottawa County grew by about 11,295 before 2018 and 2022, according to provincial data. But according to the American Community Survey, the number of homes only increased by about 8,000 between 2018 and 2023. The rental vacancy rate fell from 6.6% to 3.3% in the same period.
The fact is that housing growth in Ottawa County is not keeping pace with population growth.
“The problem has gone beyond just a lack of affordable housing,” said Brenna Zawacki, program director at Good Samaritan, a local housing assessment and resource agency. “There are generally not many vacant homes. People are really trying to stay where they are.”
Sandy, a volunteer for Refresh in the Netherlands, loads a washing machine with recently donated clothing.
As a result, there are few, if any, units available for those who manage to obtain an MSHDA Housing Voucher. Thanks to budget shortfalls, waiting lists for vouchers aren’t even open.
“There is always a shortage of units that are suitable and open for use by a voucher holder,” says Holland Community Development Coordinator Mark Kornelis. “But the supply is even smaller than it was 10 or 15 years ago.”
More: Ottawa County is advancing $1.5 million in affordable housing funding
Launched in 2019, Refresh has seen the shift firsthand.
“When we started Refresh, if you had a voucher, you were housed,” says Stanley Hook. That is not the case now.
Worse still, there is no clear solution.
“You’re going to find that homelessness is somehow going to get worse and worse — but at the same time, there has to be a way to solve it,” Ramirez said before accepting shifts and heading back out into the cold.
— Cassidey Kavathas is a political and court reporter at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at ckavathas@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @cassideykava
This article originally appeared in The Holland Sentinel: The housing crisis in the Netherlands has real faces and real consequences
