Northeast Michigan group urges state seed funding to build workforce housing

Lenny Avery, economic development coordinator for Target Alpena Development Corporation, told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Economic Opportunity that Northeast Michigan needs state seed funding to launch a regional community development corporation (CDC) to build workforce housing.

Avery told the committee that housing in Northeast Michigan is “no longer just a quality of life issue, it's an economic” issue and urged the subcommittee to treat housing as infrastructure similar to roads and water systems. He said a regional housing needs assessment shows a shortage of housing units across the region and that employers in health care, education, manufacturing and public safety report difficulty attracting and retaining workers because housing is unavailable or unaffordable.

Avery described a CDC model that would focus on workforce housing, infill development and rehabilitation projects that engage local contractors and builders, support site readiness and coordinate zoning across multiple counties. He said the CDC would prioritize for-sale single-family homes rather than operating as a rental company and would offer repair programs, home-buyer assistance and rental stabilization to help families remain in place.

"What we need in…