Transitional Housing
Serenity House: Kalamazoo’s First Transitional Housing Program for Families
In November 2025, Kalamazoo Housing Advocates launched Serenity House: Kalamazoo’s first transitional housing program designed specifically for families with young children. What began as a pilot program quickly became a demonstration of what is possible when a community wraps around its most vulnerable families.
We leased a beautiful historic home in Edison neighborhood to house our dream project. Our community rallied around to support this much needed initiative. Donors like Lake Michigan Credit Union, Mercantile Bank and Sturgis Bank offered funding and volunteers. Home stores like Lowes and Home Depot offered in kind support and free material.
Giving circles like the Rotary Club Portage, and Women Who Care provided much needed cash and volunteers. Media houses like Now Kalamazoo and Second Wave spread the word. Agencies and community partners offered wrap around support.
People were walking in from the street offering to help bring in the furniture and install cameras. Our staff was doubling up as housing advocates and window installers! The Open House when we unveiled our sign was packed.
In seven months of operation, Serenity House housed 32 individuals, including 20 children – most under the age of five. Of the eight families we served, five successfully transitioned to permanent, stable housing. The remaining families were connected to other appropriate programs and support. We are proud of that impact, and we learned a great deal about what it takes to run a program of this kind well.
In mid-2026, we made the difficult but responsible decision to pause Serenity House while we secure the right facility and a fully funded model to sustain it for the long term. The need for transitional housing for families in Kalamazoo is real and growing – the 2025 Point in Time Count recorded 791 people experiencing homelessness locally, the highest number since 2011. That need is not going away, and neither are we.
We are actively working toward a re-launch of Serenity House and are in conversations with community partners, real estate professionals, and fellow nonprofits to build a stronger, more sustainable program. When we open our doors again, we intend to do so with the full resources and infrastructure that families deserve.
If you are interested in supporting the re-launch of Serenity House, we would love to hear from you.
Serenity House
Pictures of the Open House on November 17th, 2025.
(Photographs by Fran Dwight and Maliha Raza)
