Investing in Housing for Everyone A safe, affordable home can be a key to individual and family well-being and wealth building, and the foundation for strong neighborhoods. And yet, in recent years, federal programs managed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the creation of affordable housing have either ended or had major funding reductions. At the same time, programs meant to replace HUD do not adequately address our community’s needs. Developers that want to repair or improve affordable housing often do not have the resources and tools to make it work. Low and moderate-income families also find it difficult to access resources to invest in their own homes. Repairs are often essential given that 70% of Kalamazoo’s housing stock was built more than 70 years ago. This is why the Foundation for Excellence has made it a priority to invest in affordable housing opportunities. The term “affordable housing” represents the generally accepted standard of spending not more than 30% of gross income on gross housing costs. Homeowners and renters that are paying more than 30% for housing are considered “burdened” by their housing costs. Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 called for action to address the City’s affordable housing needs. In 2019, 137 affordable housing units were built, renovated, or are currently in progress through a
partnership with the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) and local housing non-profits, including Hope Network, Housing Resources Inc., Kalamazoo County Land Bank Authority, Kalamazoo County, Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services, Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity, Northside Association for Community Development, Open Doors, Public Housing Commission, Residential Opportunities Inc., and the Vine Neighborhood Association. Together, they are a part of the Kalamazoo Affordable Housing Initiative (KAHI) to help make quality affordable housing available to residents with incomes at 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) and below. The FFE supports a housing strategy focused on five goals: expand the city’s housing supply; preserve and produce more affordable housing; catalyze neighborhood revitalization; minimize
displacement and housing hardship; and nurture diverse communities. Housing entities working with LISC participate in community meetings and events, including many related to the City’s “Imagine Kalamazoo” and “Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo” initiatives. LISC and the KAHI are making equity, inclusion, and diversity a priority. Additional work is being done to support the building and renovation of units, including homeowner foreclosure prevention, assistance with clouded titles to homes, and expanding credit availability in the mortgage market to sustain homeownership for communities of color. Other strategies aimed to increase homeownership for people of color include addressing the income and wealth gap and reducing the burden of high rents that undermine financial stability and hinder savings.
New construction of single family Neighborhood, are part of a com and keep people in their homes. P
