CLOSE TO HOME: Improvements on the horizon for expanded housing availability

Last month my younger sister and her husband purchased a new home in Traverse City. That statement should not be remarkable, but it is. For nearly three years, this couple – both with professional careers in healthcare and engineering –were losing hope of finding a larger home for their growing young family.

While the purchase is good news, it was only possible because they found an unlisted home through a friend of a friend.

In recent years, the topic of housing affordability and availability has become a national concern, impacting communities across the United States. The Grand Traverse region is no exception, and as this story indicates, the challenges are even more acute here. The issue of housing inevitably takes center stage in any conversation about operating and staffing businesses in this region.

Thankfully, improvements are on the horizon. In response to this challenge, private businesses, nonprofit organizations, municipalities and state policy makers have come together to find innovative ways to address the region’s housing needs.

This collaborative effort aims to tackle key areas such as affordability, availability, policy and workforce development.

Lead advocate Housing North and its local partners identified the most pressing priorities and are working diligently towards viable solutions.

Advocates and their partners are actively engaged in expanding housing policy ideas tailored to northern and rural communities in Michigan, and their collective efforts have resulted in significant

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Becky Kalajian progress. Last year, the Housing Michigan Coalition successfully advanced legislation, opening new opportunities for local municipalities and developers to leverage these tools in their quest to provide more workforce housing.

Several noteworthy initiatives have emerged in the Grand Traverse region, demonstrating a concerted commitment by public and private entities to address the housing challenge. Some prominent examples include Breakwater in Traverse ing or rehabilitating more than 75,000 housing units in the next five years, fostering sustainable growth and aligning economic development efforts with housing initiatives.

To foster greater diversity and participation in housing solutions, there is a growing emphasis on encouraging small-scale developers and small-scale developments.

These efforts are especially important in the Grand Traverse region and across northern Michigan. By providing oppor- talent to construct and develop housing projects.

City, a multi-family rental housing development from Wallick Communities in Blair Township, the second phase of Annika Place in Traverse City, and The Village at Garfield at Garfield and Hammond roads in Garfield Township. We have much to do, but stakeholders are actively confronting our need for housing to accommodate the region’s expanding workforce.

Recognizing the intrinsic link between economic development and housing, cross-agency collaboration has also gained momentum at the state level. The Michigan Strategic Fund has announced $20 million in Community Development Block Grant funds to be awarded to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). This funding will support the goals of the 2022 Statewide Housing Plan, with a target of construct-

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SERVING: Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau and Benzie counties tunities for smaller businesses to contribute to the housing ecosystem, more varied and attainable housing options can be created.

Increasing the housing stock in the Grand Traverse region requires a skilled workforce capable of meeting the demand. Admittedly, we still face the conundrum of not having enough skilled trades workers, which then limits housing options for these workers. Efforts are underway to promote and foster the skilled trades in middle schools, exposing students to career options at an early age.

After-school enrichment, like the Skilled Trades Explorers Program at Kingsley Middle School, offer hands-on training, internships, job shadowing and work experience opportunities. While it’s a longer-term solution, the focus on skilled trades will develop a pipeline of

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Addressing the housing challenges in the Grand Traverse region demands a multifaceted approach. A recent regional housing needs assessment conducted by Bowen National Research for Housing North highlights the scale of the problem. Over the next five years, Grand Traverse County alone requires 7,792 for-sale housing units and 3,569 rental housing units. For the wider 10-county region, the total need is estimated at 22,455 units. To effect real change for both the workforce and the regional economy, all public and private stakeholders must continue to take creative and sustained action, and be willing to say no to the NIMBY-ism of those who falsely believe this region can remain immune from change and growth.

The housing challenge in the Grand Traverse region is a critical issue with far-reaching implications for the local economy and community well-being. We need young families, like my sister’s, to be able to live and work here. Through collaborative efforts between private businesses, nonprofit organizations, municipalities and state government agencies, progress is being made. With expanded housing policy ideas, increased cross-agency collaboration, support for small-scale developers and a focus on developing a skilled workforce, the region is moving closer to finding viable solutions that support the growth and prosperity of the region’s workforce and economy.

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