Municipal League and Realtors tell committee zoning, funding and public education are needed to tackle Michigan's housing shortage

The Michigan House Committee on Regulatory Reform heard presentations from the Michigan Municipal League and the Michigan Realtors on Thursday about barriers to increasing housing supply across Michigan and possible policy responses.

Jen Riggtrink, who identified herself as with the Michigan Municipal League's state and federal affairs team, told the committee that communities face a shortage of housing supply and rising costs to build or rehabilitate housing. "We have more need than we have supply," Riggtrink said. She outlined a multi-pronged view of obstacles often summarized to the "five Ls": labor, lumber, land, laws and lending. Riggtrink emphasized that zoning reform is only one piece of the puzzle and said local resistance (commonly called NIMBYism) and owners unwilling to sell or redevelop also slow progress.

Riggtrink described state-supported programs intended to help communities prepare for development, including the Redevelopment…