Housing assessment: Kent County needs about 33,400 units; planners urge infill, corridor strategy

Housing Next and the Greater Grand Rapids Chamber presented Kent County’s updated housing needs assessment to the Community Health & Safety Committee on Aug. 26, reporting a countywide shortfall the consultants estimated at about 33,400 housing units and urging a strategy that prioritizes infill on existing sewer and water corridors.

Ryan Kilpatrick of Housing Next said the assessment, performed for Kent County, found the county’s estimated housing need fell modestly since the prior update—from about 35,000 units to roughly 33,400—reflecting increased production but still leaving a substantial shortfall. Kilpatrick said the county needs a mix of housing: about 12,000 rental units and roughly 21,000 for‑sale units. In the city of Grand Rapids, Kilpatrick said the gap is roughly 14,000 units split about evenly between rental and for‑sale.

Kilpatrick described two development scenarios. Under current (status‑quo) zoning, Kent County has nearly 130,000 acres of vacant or residentially zoned land; if developed at current patterns it could accommodate roughly 79,000 additional units but would consume nearly all vacant land and require extensive new infrastructure. By contrast, a corridor‑focused infill strategy on a much smaller footprint (Kilpatrick cited an example using about 3,100 acres on existing sewer/water corridors) could deliver a comparable number of units at a fraction of the infrastructure cost.

Kilpatrick gave an illustrative Walker corridor example showing a hypothetical redevelopment on 17 acres that he said could increase taxable value and county/city tax receipts substantially compared with low‑density uses; he and chamber representatives stressed these are illustrative scenarios and that local jurisdictions must decide appropriate forms and densities.

Speakers and commissioners discussed barriers to compact development: political opposition at public hearings, financing and appraisal gaps for new housing forms, competition with drive‑through commercial uses for high‑value corner parcels, and the need to align zoning and infrastructure planning. Josh Long of the Grand Rapids Chamber said the county’s revolving loan fund and Brownfield Redevelopment Authority have helped in early projects; Kilpatrick said local zoning updates that reduce minimum lot sizes and allow missing‑middle housing can enable production without requiring major subsidies for every unit.

Kilpatrick and chamber staff also cited recent county‑supported zoning assistance grants that enabled changes in some jurisdictions. He said Gaines Township’s zoning update enabled an estimated 17,600 additional housing units under new zoning and that the village of Sparta’s ordinance changes and accessory dwelling provisions enabled more than 1,200 additional units — figures staff said they are using as examples for other townships.

Commissioners asked for more granular data and requested Housing Next and chamber staff provide detailed PDFs and maps; Kilpatrick and Long offered to supply additional breakdowns on price points, income levels and tract‑level needs.

Ending: Staff recommended county coordination with local jurisdictions to identify corridors for prioritized infill and to pair zoning and financing tools with design investments to make underutilized sewer‑served land attractive and livable.