GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Data shows West Michigan needs more housing at all price points. Habitat for Humanity of Kent County is taking a new approach with its next project by building up.
Habitat for Humanity's focus is affordable homes. Now, they're looking to expand availability by creating a five-story building.
“Habitat has been working with this city for some time to really increase the density of what we build,” Habitat for Humanity of Kent County Executive Director Bev Thiel said.
Grand Rapids is 45 square miles in size, but space to build is limited.
“A few years ago, we purchased property kind of surrounding us,” Thiel added.
This latest project is making use of one of its oldest resources: the warehouse. After the warehouse is demolished, the organization will focus on developing multi-family housing in the Roosevelt Park neighborhood.
“We were sitting on prime real estate. We know there's an amphitheater happening close to us,” Thiel said.
The current plans show this five-story building will bring 27 condos with either two or three bedrooms.
“We began to see a huge need, as we all know, for housing across Kent County, West Michigan, the United States. So how could we be more impactful?” Thiel said.
This project is part of a bigger development in the area.
“So the first homes we did are what we call attached single-family homes. So they may look and appear like a condo, or they may look and appear like a duplex to folks. Those are individual homes, and that was really the catalyst for 'look what we can do on property,'” Thiel added.
Those single-family homes will account for 27 more units.
“This was amazing, right, to watch the demolition of this building for many of our staff. This was an empowering time. This means it's actually going to happen, and neighbors are excited,” Thiel said. “I think the exciting part of doing neighborhood revitalization and community development is the input we get from neighbors, and so neighbors are just as excited about watching this happen and knowing that there's going to be housing here.”
Thiel says Habitat for Humanity is still finishing those homes. She expects to see progress on the five-story condo building in a year and a half or so.
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