KALAMAZOO, MI — When downtown Kalamazoo’s homeless shelter started restricting access to emergency beds earlier this month, people shared stories of sleeping on the streets, in parks and in the rain.

They were the unlucky ones who lost in the lottery that determined who could stay in an emergency bed.

Kalamazoo Gospel Ministries reports there’s no longer a waiting list, as the downtown shelter called people to come back as emergency beds became available.

Here are five things to know about homelessness in the Kalamazoo area as the community deals with a rising number of people in need amid changes at the downtown shelter.

1. A shift in services

To focus more on its long-term religious based programming, Kalamazoo Gospel Ministries placed limits on how long people could stay in an eme

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