GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — Dwelling Place, a nonprofit organization, plans to build affordable homes and duplexes on a vacant two-acre lot in Grand Haven to address the growing need for affordable housing in the area.
The property, located near the corner of Fulton and Ferry Street, was formerly owned by the Salvation Army. Jacob Horner, Dwelling Place's chief real estate officer, described the site as "kind of in the middle of the city block" that has become "a natural swamp land area that just hasn't been developed before."
Dwelling Place aims to construct 10–15 homes on the property. The project has received support from the local planning commission, which, according to Horner, "decided, essentially, we want to see this developed. We need to see new housing in the city."
The need for affordable housing in Grand Haven has become significant, with Horner noting, "Home prices in Grand Haven over the last five years have almost doubled."
The homes will be part of Dwelling Place's Community Land Trust program, where buyers purchase only the house, not the property. This model allows Dwelling Place to maintain affordability for future buyers.
To qualify for purchase, potential buyers must have an income between 80% and 120% of the area's median income. "For a family of four, that would be $123,375 or less," Horner explained.
Dwelling Place plans to submit preliminary site plans to the Grand Haven Planning Commission in the coming weeks. The organization aims to have the homes ready for sale by the summer of 2026.
"We want to help people at all spectrums in the economy do well and have that chance to succeed and build wealth through homeownership," Horner said. "So, we're excited to bring that to Grand Haven."
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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