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Michigan Office of Rural Prosperity offers readiness grants and convening to help rural communities prepare housing projects
Summary
Sarah Lucas, director of the Michigan Office of Rural Prosperity, described flexible small grants, a readiness network and technical assistance aimed at building planning and grant‑application capacity in rural communities.
Sarah Lucas, director of the Michigan Office of Rural Prosperity, told the joint city and planning commissions that rural communities face capacity constraints that often prevent them from accessing state and federal housing funds. “Far and away, housing is the number one issue communities are grappling with,” Lucas said, and described the office’s focus on planning, data, staffing, governance and community engagement as foundational “building blocks” that allow projects to succeed.
Lucas described the Rural Readiness Grant Program — flexible awards up to $50,000 for tax‑exempt entities — and the Rural Readiness Network, which provides direct technical assistance through partners such as Resource Rural and USDA Rural Development. She said the office has made roughly $1.5 million available in grants in the last cycle and that its grants have acted as catalysts, attracting roughly $12 of additional investment for every $1 granted in the projects the office tracked. She gave Traverse City‑area examples of grantees, including Homestretch and the Traverse City Area Public School District, and said the office will consider communities rural under a variety of federal or state definitions.
Lucas urged communities to develop market data, a clear vision and multi‑partner implementation strategies before seeking capital. She said the office’s role is to connect communities to programs, convene partners, and advocate for rural needs inside state government. Lucas said the office is participating in regional events and can help convene local stakeholders and bring technical assistance into project conversations. Commissioners welcomed the idea of more regional collaboration and asked staff to follow up on opportunities to partner on capacity building and outreach.
No formal actions were taken; staff and commission members asked the Office of Rural Prosperity to remain a resource for local and regional project readiness and to notify the city of upcoming events and training.
