Housing Commission outlines voucher growth, project-based vouchers at Black Rock Crossing and property-management plans

The Market Housing Commission provided its annual update to the Marquette City Commission on Aug. 25, reporting steady staff retention, program activity and a new mission statement aimed at “creating thriving communities by enriching lives with housing support and opportunities.” Jackie Stark, speaking for the commission, said the Housing Choice Voucher Program currently assists 36 families; the program has authority for 50 vouchers but is constrained by funding and local rent levels.

Stark told commissioners the commission is preparing project-based vouchers tied to the Black Rock Crossing development (project-based vouchers are attached to specific units rather than the household). She said Black Rock Crossing is expected to start leasing in October and that project-based vouchers will make some units available with rental assistance tied to those units.

The commission also highlighted the Youth and Family Center at Lake Superior Village, describing summer programming and family services. Stark said this year’s back-to-school carnival was the highest-attended since 2019, serving approximately 125 people with a meal and distributing almost 70 backpacks and school supplies.

On housing inventory, the commission reported Pine Ridge has 140 units (mostly one- and two-bedroom) with eight families on the wait list for a two-bedroom unit; Lake Superior Village has 116 units across two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments and its wait lists are full. The commission noted it owns two houses (one on Mather Street and two units in a duplex; Fisher Street properties on one lot) that it rents at comparable rates to its other properties.

Stark and Sharon (the commission’s executive director) described a new service the commission intends to offer: property-management for private and subsidized housing. Sharon said the commission can contract to manage private owners’ portfolios — from small owners to holders of low-income housing tax credits — and collect management fees to support the commission’s operations. Stark and Sharon said staff hope local property-management work will increase revenue for the commission while keeping jobs local.

Commissioners asked questions about the property-management plan and the portability of vouchers. Mayor Pro Tem Rotem Schlegel asked whether property-management customers would be external private owners; Stark and Sharon confirmed the commission would offer management services to outside owners and emphasized the intent to provide local jobs and expertise. Stark encouraged residents interested in serving on the commission to apply; she said the commission meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. and that two board seats are still open.

Stark closed by noting ongoing challenges: funding limits on voucher utilization, rising construction and renovation costs, and landlords’ willingness to accept vouchers. No formal action was requested or taken on the presentation.