OutFront Kalamazoo Debuts New Services Addressing Health Disparities in LGBTQIA+ Community
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2024
CONTACT:
Tracy Hall, Executive Director
269-349-4234
office@outfrontkzoo.org
KALAMAZOO, MI – OutFront Kalamazoo announces two new services intended to address health disparities within the LGBTQIA+ community of Southwest Michigan.
Members of the public who are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity can receive support through OutFront Kalamazoo’s new Housing Navigation program, which soft-launched in January 2024. Offered in partnership with HOPE thru Navigation, this service connects individuals with a Housing Navigator who can help with the process of identifying and overcoming barriers to permanent housing.
Beginning July 1, 2024, OutFront Kalamazoo will be launching its first Direct Client Assistance program. This program will be able to cover a limited number of expenses for individuals with the purpose of removing barriers to housing. For example, individuals will be able to apply for financial assistance toward the cost of application fees, move-in expenses, or paying off outstanding utility or medical bills. This service will be available on a limited basis until the allotted funding has been disbursed.
These new services are OutFront Kalamazoo’s latest efforts toward combating a multitude of health disparities within the LGBTQIA+ community of Southwest Michigan. The organization has also debuted several other services in recent years intended to reduce or remove barriers to vital resources. For example, the organization frequently partners with Integrated Services of Kalamazoo, Disability Rights Michigan, CARES, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, and Western Michigan University to host pop-up services including Community Health Services, vaccine clinics, HIV/STI testing, Veteran Care Coordination, and Career Services. Additional services currently offered include quarterly OutCloset events that connect members of the community with affordable, affirming clothing choices; a partnership with the YWCA’s Reproductive Health Fund that provides gender-affirming products to community members at no cost to them; and two housing programs, known as Legacy House and Host Homes, that serve LGBTQIA+ youth.
“Access has always been an issue for queer folks in need of housing, employment, basic medical care – the list goes on,” said Director of Services Dell Darnell (they/them). “We are committed to connecting our community with people and organizations that are explicitly safe and affirming.”
The new Housing Navigation and Direct Client Assistance programs are made possible through over $500,000 of combined new grant funding through the Continuum of Care, the MI State Housing Development Authority, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. OutFront Kalamazoo was chosen to receive these funds as part of a state-wide effort to address health disparities within the LGBTQIA+ community.
“We are grateful for this historic and generous opportunity,” said Executive Director Tracy Hall (she/they). “We are being very intentional about how these funds are used, and our team is already working on developing even more programs and services to help those most vulnerable members of our community.”
Those who are in need of services are encouraged to contact the OutFront Kalamazoo office by phone, email, or by stopping in during business hours.
OutFront Kalamazoo is a non-profit, charitable organization whose mission is to create a just, inclusive, equitable, and supportive environment in Southwest Michigan for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions.
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