Public Feedback: Southwest Michigan Housing Goals and Strategies (Region J)

Michigan’s first Statewide Housing Plan was released in 2022. The plan aims to address the numerous challenges that limit access to safe, healthy, affordable, accessible, and attainable housing for all in a community of their choice. After the plan was released, regional groups (known as Regional Housing Partnerships or RHPs) were created to engage with local stakeholders and create regional plans that support the larger statewide plan. Those engaged in this regional planning process were representatives of municipalities, community resource agencies, affordable housing developers, health and human service agencies, and others dedicated to improving the well-being of their communities. Ultimately, the Regional Housing Partnerships are tasked with building a connected, collaborative housing ecosystem to address the affordability housing crisis in their communities.

The Southwest Michigan RHP has worked hard this summer to develop our Regional Housing Action Plan. This southwest area (called "Region J") includes Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren Counties. Since forming our RHP in May, we have met in person multiple times to create our workgroups, choose our regional priorities, and begin forming the strategies and key performance indicators that will show us how our success is measured. Workgroups were created to focus on the priorities identified by the RHP. They met regularly to determine goals and strategies for their priority area. Those goals and strategies comprise the Action Plan.

This Action Plan has come from many hours of discussions between professionals from every part of the housing industry and the region. We are grateful to everyone who took part in creating this plan!

More information about the Statewide Housing Plan and the Regional Housing Partnerships is available on the MSHDA website. If you are interested in receiving more information on the Southwest Michigan RHP (serving Region J), you can check out the website here or join the listserv here.

Currently, the Southwest Michigan RHP is seeking community feedback on the goals proposed for the region. The plan is open for comment from September 8th to September 18th. The survey includes seven questions and should take no more than five minutes to complete. Understanding what is important to you will help the region prioritize how to best achieve housing stability for all.

Thank you for your input!

Question Title

* 1. Goal: Identify and advocate for modifications to policies and practices to remove barriers across the housing continuum for BIPOC, immigrants, migrants, refugees, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+, those with low incomes, and other marginalized populations.

This is an appropriate goal and should be a top priority.

This is an appropriate goal but should NOT be a top priority.

Other goals are more important.

I don’t think this is important goal for our region.

Question Title

* 2. Goal: Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the housing ecosystem by enhancing collaboration on housing among state agencies, philanthropy, local governments, Tribal Nations, education and the wide variety of private-sector organizations that make up the housing ecosystem.

This is an appropriate goal and should be a top priority.

This is an appropriate goal but should NOT be a top priority.

Other goals are more important.

I don’t think this is important goal for our region.

Question Title

* 3. Goal: Support an expansion of housing that is affordable and fairly assessed by increasing the availability and demographic diversity of workers in the construction, planning and zoning, and real estate industries.

This is an appropriate goal and should be a top priority.

This is an appropriate goal but should NOT be a top priority.

Other goals are more important.

I don’t think this is important goal for our region.

Question Title

* 4. Goal: Increase the supply of the full spectrum of housing that is affordable and attainable to Michigan residents.

This is an appropriate goal and should be a top priority.

This is an appropriate goal but should NOT be a top priority.

Other goals are more important.

I don’t think this is important goal for our region.

Question Title

* 5. Goal: Equitably expand the supply of affordable and accessible rental units statewide for older adults.

This is an appropriate goal and should be a top priority.

This is an appropriate goal but should NOT be a top priority.

Other goals are more important.

I don’t think this is important goal for our region.

Question Title

* 6. Pick up to 5 top housing strategies for the region.

Require municipalities to include residential (rural, urban, suburban) input to identify and address redlining, exclusionary zoning, and other discriminatory policies and practices that result in inequities and residential segregation including but not limited to appraisals, assessment of state equalized value, loan application denials, and insurance premiums.

Create and/or align regional networks to promote discourse, identify gaps, leverage resources, address systemic inequities, remove barriers, and collaborate on housing plans and projects; assess capacity of regional networks on a regular basis and fill gaps where appropriate.

Bring technical resources to communities (including a wide selection of housing data and analysis) to help them become ready for new housing development through grants and other opportunities.

Work with building trade associations, community colleges, workforce development agencies, and unions to develop more inclusive models that assist underrepresented groups, including immigrant communities and justice-involved individuals, at the high school and postsecondary levels, to enter and complete apprenticeship and certification programs in planning and zoning, real estate, and the skilled trades, including gaining expertise in weatherization and energy efficiency, and barrier-free and universal design.

Provide resources to help underrepresented entrepreneurs launch and grow construction, planning and zoning, development and real estate businesses.

Fund nontraditional and less restrictive funding streams to increase homelessness prevention and diversion efforts, and modify program requirements (e.g., Fair Market Rent (FMR), etc.), to keep households from entering shelter or staying in unsheltered situations in order to reduce trauma.

Fund capacity in local organizations to implement evidence-based service models that address the needs of specific populations and marginalized communities, and in the homelessness response system.

Advocate at the federal and state levels for increased funding, including gap funding, to support affordable and attainable housing ranging from small- to large-scale housing development.

Streamline state and local government funding processes, including creating a one-stop resources toolkit for developers and removing barriers to public-private housing collaborations

Review and modify housing programs to remove barriers to expanding and improving older adult housing. Leverage all resources from Federal, State, and local governments. Engage businesses and philanthropy.

Build the capacity of staffing in smaller rural communities. Share best practices, job descriptions, and toolkits to leverage all housing opportunities

Question Title

* 7. What additional comments do you have on the Draft Regional Action Plan?