KALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. — What Kalamazoo County leaders have labeled a housing crisis is on track to being a thing of the past. Officials told FOX 17 they could reach their goal of bringing more affordable housing to the county by 2030.
"We are about 7,750 units short of housing for all," Housing Director Mary Balkema told FOX 17.
However, at the rate things are going, that won't be the case in six years.
"We just approved last night a million-dollar loan for River Cactus; they're doing 228 units and River's Edge kind of on the north side of Kalamazoo." Balkema added that 70 affordable senior housing units are going up on the north side.
According to the housing director, those projects will start sometime this year, which they're really excited about.
This is all thanks to the county's "Homes for All" housing millage, which gives nonprofits and developers a chance to apply for funding to create affordable housing.
"There's a lot of interest in our millage; there's a lot of interest that continues because a lot of developers still have a gap," Balkema told FOX 17. "It's money that doesn't have federal or state strings attached; we can get the money out the door pretty quickly."
The county received more than 23 applications for funding. In early April, more than $4 million was awarded to several projects.
Officials say the millage has contributed more than $13 million to housing developments and supportive services in its initial two years.
"We've been making a lot of progress on multifamily and single-family and our owner-occupied rehabs, and then our supportive services continue," Balkema said.
Right now, 185 new units have been completed, 85 projects are under construction and more than 100 owner-occupied homes have been rehabilitated.
"I'm really, really encouraged by who I see take advantage and apply, and then how they can get their projects to the finish line," she said.
The full "Homes for All" report can be found here.
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