LANSING, Mich. – Michigan’s first-ever Statewide Housing Plan (SHP), a five-year blueprint charting priorities, goals and strategies to address the intricate and multifaceted challenges impacting housing equity, was launched to a crowd of housing industry leaders at the Building Michigan Communities Conference on May 6.
“Every family deserves a safe, affordable place to call home so they have a strong foundation to pursue their potential, but too many Michiganders don’t have access to that in their communities right now,” said Governor Whitmer. “This comprehensive statewide plan tackles persistent past and present housing challenges head-on. If we get it done, we can help those in need of homes get the dignity they deserve and ensure Michigan maintains a competitive edge in attracting and retaining talent as we grow our economy.”
Governor Whitmer, who earlier this year set an ambitious goal to create or preserve 75,000 housing units across Michigan, encouraged communities, state agencies, local governments, developers, nonprofits, and philanthropic organizations represented in the crowd, to adopt and implement the plan. Hers is one of five statewide housing targets that represent what can be achieved as a result of SHP activities. Other targets include:
- The stabilization of housing for 100,000+ households.
- Significantly reduce equity gaps in homelessness and homeownership.
- Strive to make homelessness rare, brief and one time.
- Increase home energy efficiency and make weatherization improvements in 15,000+ households.
The plan also outlines eight priority areas, each with its own set of goals, strategies and outcome measures to guide action planning in regions across the state, as well as 37 goals and 134 strategies to create more robust pathways to safe, quality, affordable housing for all Michiganders.
The need for a SHP arises from the numerous intertwined social and geographic inequities impacting housing accessibility and affordability. For instance, 52% of the state’s homeless population are Black, despite making up only 14% of the overall population. The cost of housing has also risen dramatically over the last several years. Between January 2013 and October 2021, the average sale price for a home in Michigan increased 84%. Meanwhile, the average number of building permits being awarded for new housing construction is less than half that of pre-Great Recession levels.
“Creating more affordable housing is a top priority of the SHP, but we also need to understand and untangle long-standing patterns of racial discrimination and segregation that has impacted housing accessibility by emphasizing equity and racial justice in this plan,” said Tiffany King, MSHDA Equity and Inclusion Officer. “There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to affordable housing, and we’ll need the insights, input, and efforts of people from all walks of life if we are to break down these historical barriers and craft real solutions that enable greater access to affordable housing.”
Led by MSHDA, over 7,000 residents and other participants contributed to the creation of the SHP. Moving forward, a new statewide housing partnership and regional groups will work alongside Michigan’s Campaign to End Homelessness (MCTEH) to meet the goals of the plan. A public dashboard will also be launched to report on statewide and regional outcomes.
To learn more visit the Statewide Housing Plan (michigan.gov) page on MSHDA’s website.
Source: Press Release
