Tools Supporting Critical Workforce Housing Head to Michigan House
Lansing, Michigan –The members of the Housing Michigan Coalition, led by the Grand Rapids Chamber, Michigan Municipal League, Home Builders Association of Michigan and Housing North, applauds the Michigan Senate’s passage of legislation creating local tools to support the development and rehabilitation of workforce housing in Michigan.
The bills are:
- SB 360 & 361 (Victory) – Employer Housing Tax Credit
- SB 362 (Brinks) – Attainable Housing & Rehabilitation Act
- SB 364 (Moss) – NEZ expansion
- SB 422 (Horn) – Residential Facilities Exemption
- SB 432 (Schmidt) – PILOTs for housing
The Housing Michigan Coalition includes dozens of associations, businesses, builders, local governments and non-profits and is focused on creating and expanding tools for local governments to support the development or rehabilitation of housing supply that is attainable to more Michigan citizens.
“I’m particularly proud to be part of this bipartisan package because of what it means for the greater Grand Rapids area,” said Senator Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids. “This legislation gives our local units of government the tools necessary to meet their particular housings needs, especially for those who are financially stable yet don’t have enough income to keep pace with market demand for housing. This is a win-win solution for our communities and their residents. I urge our colleagues in the statehouse to support its passage.”
“I am excited to see this legislation pass out of the Senate today. Housing affordability has been a priority for the Senate and this is an important step to create tools for our partners in the private sector and local government to help us tackle this issue,” said Senator Roger Victory, R-Hudsonville.
“Housing stability impacts all of us — working families seeking affordable homes, local employers recruiting new talent, and Michigan communities maintaining safe neighborhoods. Our bipartisan effort expands local tools to make homeownership attainable to more Michigan residents and promotes the renewal of Michigan’s diverse housing stock,” said Senator Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield.
“The need for more workforce affordable housing has become one of the top issues I hear about in communities around my district. I’m very pleased that the Senate has moved decisively today in a bi-partisan manner to create more tools to allow communities, builders, and employers to work together to solve this challenging problem,” said Senator Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City.
“We’re seeing a need for workforce housing in every corner of our state,” said Sen. Ken Horn, R-Frankenmuth. “As the chair of the Senate Economic and Small Business Development Committee, I was happy to join my colleagues in providing more tools that our local communities can use to develop new structures or rehabilitate existing spaces. We need to make sure we have a well-rounded economic development strategy in Michigan; we need to create jobs, train our workforce and build attractive places to house them.”
“Housing is a foundational piece for our communities and economy. It impacts access to jobs, employee retention and attraction, health outcomes, student success and much more. Successfully addressing our current challenges is critical to advancing the Chamber’s mission of supporting a thriving and prosperous West Michigan for all,” said Josh Lunger, Sr. Director of Government Affairs at the Grand Rapids Chamber. “These tools will provide opportunities to support much-needed workforce housing projects for residents who have difficulty obtaining market-rate housing but have more income than would qualify for affordable housing.”
“Today was a great day in the Senate as they passed important legislation to address critical housing issues in our state,” said Dawn Crandall, Executive Vice President for Government Relations for the Home Builders Association of Michigan. “The looming housing crisis is a serious economic development issue for our entire state, and we all have to work together to turn it around in the right direction.”
These bills will now be heading to the Michigan House of Representatives where testimony has already been held on companion bills. The Housing Michigan Coalition urges the Michigan House of Representatives to quickly take up the legislation.
You can learn more and join the coalition at www.housingmichigan.weebly.com.
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