State Land Bank Presents Resources and Supports Affordable Housing Development in Northern Michigan

Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity sent this bulletin at 07/22/2022 03:09 PM EDT

State Land Bank Presents Resources and Supports Affordable Housing Development in Northern Michigan

The State Land Bank Authority (SLBA) joined a coalition of State agencies centered around housing development in Michigan to meet with local businesses, elected officials and others in Roscommon, Crawford and Otsego counties to discuss opportunities and barriers to creating new housing. The SLBA was joined by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Office of Rural Development, Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to present information on various programs and upcoming opportunities to encourage workforce housing development.

The frank and open discussion showcased unique challenges faced by advocates of additional housing units. Rural communities have seen significant changes to the patterns of existing housing moving from homeowner occupied to short term rental, leaving the working individual unable to obtain affordable housing in the area. This is limiting expansion of commercial and industrial businesses because they cannot draw new employees to an area without available, affordable housing options.

"The SLBA was excited to join with MDARD, MSHDA and MEDC leadership to provide coordinated and unified information on the wide range of tools and assistance the State of Michigan offers to begin providing solutions to the housing issues these communities face," said said SLBA Director Emily Doerr. "It was exciting to see the seeds for potential future projects be planted in all three of these counties based on our robust conversations."

Other challenges include limited or non-existent infrastructure, capacity to seek and apply for funding and construction trade worker availability to complete projects.

The SLBA looks forward to continuing this momentum moving forward and supporting the creation of more attainable housing in other counties across Michigan. They continue to work with local governments and communities around the state looking for assistance in putting their land use goals into practice.

To learn more about the SLBA's efforts to improve communities across Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/LandBank.

Mission: Create positive economic impact to Michigan communities by facilitating productive reuse of land.

Michigan.gov/LandBank

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