If you will sign-on in support of $10 million for the RRF, please write your 1.) Name, and 2.) Organization (if applicable) in the space provided and submit. Thank you for your support of housing in northwest Michigan!
Dear Governor Whitmer, Leader Brinks, Speaker Hall, Chair Anthony, and Chair Bollin,
We, the undersigned, are writing to express our strong support for a $10 million appropriation to expand the Regional Housing Fund called the “Rapid Response Housing Fund” (RRF) in Northwest Lower Michigan, spearheaded by the Northwest Michigan Rural Housing Partnership (Housing North).
State support is critical to launch and sustain this effort. The appropriation would serve households in the 60-120% AMI range, ensuring a mix of affordable housing options that align with the state's goals for economic growth and community development.
This initiative is vital to addressing the region’s critical shortage of attainable housing and ensuring that working families can afford to live and thrive in our communities. Northwest Lower Michigan faces a growing housing crisis, with a recent Housing Needs Assessment revealing the need for over 32,000 homes by 2027, 22,000 of which are required for individuals and families earning less than 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
The Rapid Response Housing Fund will help bridge the funding gap for these matching housing projects, allowing communities to support workforce housing development and ensure long-term affordability for residents. The $10 million appropriation would provide essential seed funding for the Fund, which has already demonstrated success through a pilot project in Leelanau County (2023) and is expanding to other counties in 2024. This project secured two affordable housing units and additional land for workforce housing development, preserving housing opportunities that would otherwise have been lost to short-term rentals or market-rate conversions.
The $10 million appropriation is a strategic investment that will have a long-lasting impact on Northwest Lower Michigan and set an example for other regions across the state. We urge the administration and the Michigan Legislature to learn more about this fund, which is essential to tackling the housing challenges in our communities and improving the quality of life for Michigan residents.
Sincerely,
