KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Kalamazoo County is increasing its efforts to address what county officials call a housing crisis. The county made an announcement Tuesday about an additional $2 million in new funding opportunities that aim to remove barriers to housing.
Earlier this year, the county launched an online application for nonprofits and developers. The application allowed them to apply for funding so they could bring more affordable housing to the area next year.
However, Housing Director Mary Balkema felt this was an issue that can’t wait.
“I thought it would be prudent to open it up again. So we would receive applications that we could deploy our money this year and start building,” she told FOX 17.
The new application is open for nonprofits and developers to apply until April 24.
$335,000 will be available for supportive services and $1.7 million for multi-family units, such as senior affordable housing or affordable multi-family rental housing.
“The two million is coming from our housing millage that was approved by the voters in November of 2020 and is levied on the December bill, and it generates approximately seven and a half million dollars this year,” Balkema said, adding that the Public Housing Commission has another application opening, too.
“The Kalamazoo County Public Housing Commission has $200,000 available to remove barriers to housing for families with school-aged children in the county,” she said.
The hope is that, with developers and nonprofits taking advantage of the opportunity, the county can lower the number of people struggling to find a place to call home.
