BUILT TO LAST

Four new developments that could help address local housing shortages

By Craig Manning

A recent housing needs assessment by Housing North concluded that the 10-county northwest Michigan region – which includes Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee and Wexford counties – will face a housing gap of 8,813 rental units and 22,455 for-sale units within the next five years.

While those numbers indicate that northern Michigan’s housing shortage isn’t going away any time soon, there is at least some silver lining: There is a lot of residential development pending or currently under way in the region. From individual houses to fullfledged subdivisions, and from affordable apartments to luxury condos, the housing hubs of tomorrow are being built today.

But which of these developments are changing the game most? Below, the Traverse City Business News highlighted four mustwatch residential projects and why they matter to northern Michigan’s housing equation.

Kchi-noodin Kaamdaakiing (Garfield Township)

The Development: Kchi-noodin Kaamdaakiing (translated to “Windy Hills”) is a housing project being spearheaded by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians that will ultimately bring 173 units to tribal-owned trust land off Herkner Road in Garfield Township.

The Details: When all is said and done, the Kchi-noodin Kaamdaakiing development will span 173 units in a variety of configurations, including 33 single-family homes, 23 single-family cottages, 34 duplexes intended for GTB elders, 43 townhouses, and 40 apartments. Units will be available in a variety of different floorplan configurations, in terms of size and number of bedrooms/bathrooms.

There are currently 16 units on the site, and Nicki Basch – the tribe’s housing manager – said that “project 1” is currently underway to bring another 36 units to the site by next spring. Other phases will follow to build out the full 72-acre site.

The Gamechanger: Per Basch, Kchi-noodin Kaamdaakiing is unique for two primary reasons: First, the development – at least for now – is intended specifically for GTB tribal members and members of other federally recognized tribes. Second, the development is funded in part by the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, something that GTB has been pursuing for more than a decade. The development is the first 100% tribal housing project to be awarded those tax credits in Michigan, which Basch said will allow for affordable rents based in part on family/household income levels.

Annika Place II (City of Traverse City)

The Development: Annika Place is a new multi-family residential development bound for 1020 Hastings St., within the City of Traverse City limits. Developed by Woda Cooper Companies, Inc., the project will add 52 new residential units to the city’s housing stock. The project is an extension to Annika Place, an adjacent multi-family development that itself is expected to bring 53 new units to 947 South Garfield Ave.

The Details: Annika II is a four-story, 56,146 square-foot project with 52 apartments split between 28 one-bedroom units and 24 two-bedroom units. Per city documents, the project will emphasize both accessibility (six of the units will be barrier-free, which means they are designed to be accessible to all regardless of age, body size, or ability level) and affordability (22 units are targeted for residents earning 70-80% of area median income, or AMI). Annika II is set to break ground next year and should be completed by summer 2025.

Meanwhile, Annika Place – which broke ground in December – will have 34 units for income levels in the 70-80% AMI range. That project is set to be completed by next summer.

The Gamechanger: According to Ashley Halladay-Schmandt, who serves as director of the Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness, Annika II represents a leap forward for housing advocacy in the region. Woda has agreed to work with Goodwill Northern Michigan to set aside 19 of the project’s 52 units for individuals experiencing homelessness. Specifically, Halladay-Schmandt recently told TCBN sister publication Northern Express that the set-aside units will be geared toward “our most chronic homeless individuals.”

The National Alliance to End Homelessness uses the term “chronic homelessness” to describe people “who have experienced homelessness for at least a year – or repeatedly – while struggling with a disabling condition such as a serious mental illness, substance use disorder, or physical disability.” Per Halladay-Schmandt, the 10-county northwest Lower Michigan region currently has around 70 people who meet this definition. She described the partnership with Woda as “huge progress” toward her organization’s current mission of bringing that number down to zero by the end of 2028.