Death of man living in woods points to mounting Ottawa County housing crisis

GEORGETOWN TWP. — The body of a man found deceased in Georgetown Township earlier this week is a sobering reminder of the consistent number of unsheltered individuals living in the Ottawa County area. 

The body of a 28-year-old man was discovered in a wooded area along the 1700 block of Chicago Drive on Tuesday, March 10, an incident authorities say involves an individual who had been living unsheltered in the elements.

Deputies from the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene at approximately 1:44 p.m. following a report of a body found in the brush. 

Although a positive identification released Thursday confirmed the man was from the Lowell area, officials said he was believed to have been living in the wooded area prior to his death.

Authorities have not yet released the victim’s name. No foul play is suspected. 

The discovery comes as local leaders grapple with a sharp increase in the county's unsheltered population. According to the 2024 Ottawa County Community Assessment, the number of people found living in places not meant for human habitation — such as cars, parks, and wooded lots — nearly doubled in a single year, rising from 48 in 2023 to 95 in 2024.

Advocates say the death is a grim localized symptom of a broader housing emergency. The assessment highlights a "severely limited" supply of affordable units, noting that Ottawa County has maintained a rental vacancy rate of less than 1 percent for several years — far below the 5 percent to 6 percent rate considered healthy for a housing market.

"Lack of affordable housing is a key factor contributing to the increase of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness," the report states. This shortage is particularly acute for those seeking rentals below $625 a month; the county currently faces a deficit of more than 1,400 such units.

The assessment further notes that the crisis is being exacerbated by a "creeping displacement," where even working residents are priced out of the market. Between 2018 and 2021, median rents in the area climbed by as much as 27.7 percent, leaving those at the lowest income brackets with few options but to seek informal shelter.

For many in the community, the risks of such displacement are clear. As one stakeholder quoted in the assessment noted: "You might get your medication, but if you go home and live in your car, you're never going to be mentally healthy and you're likely not going to be physically healthy."

Data from the 2025 Point-in-Time count revealed a complicated look at Ottawa County's housing crisis, illustrating a landscape where marginal gains are eclipsed by long-term growth in homelessness. 

While the annual census — a one-night snapshot of the county’s unhoused population — recorded 297 individuals in 2025, that figure represents only a nominal dip from the 305 people counted in 2024. It reveals a stark 48 percent increase since 2022, when the count stood at 200, signaling that the number of residents without stable housing remains at historically elevated levels.

As of March 13, the specific, finalized data results for the 2026 Point-in-Time Count in Ottawa County were not yet publicly released.

Meanwhile, sheriff officials said that the circumstances surrounding the man's death remain under investigation. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office or Silent Observer at 877-88-SILENT.

— Heather VanDyke covers northern Ottawa County for the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at hvandyke@ottawanewsnetwork.org.