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City planning supervisor and local realtor outline 'equitable pathways' to homeownership in Battle Creek
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Summary
On a BC City Connection podcast, City of Battle Creek planning supervisor Darcy Schmidt and realtor Talia Champlin described barriers to homeownership—lack of information, credit history and down payments—and outlined steps the city and local realtors are taking to help first-time and underserved buyers.
Richard Piatt, host of the BC City Connection podcast, interviewed Darcy Schmidt, planning supervisor for the City of Battle Creek, and realtor Talia Champlin of REMAX Parrot about local efforts to create more equitable pathways to homeownership.
Schmidt said the city is using a housing study to identify barriers and opportunities, and is looking to work with the Calhoun County Land Bank and private developers to market vacant city property and remove obstacles to starter-home construction. “The city has a lot of vacant property that we're holding on to. Calhoun County Land Bank, we're hoping to work with them on some projects,” Schmidt said, describing steps to make development easier for smaller builders.
Champlin framed the issue as a mix of information gaps and financial barriers. “The pathway itself may feel equitable… but there have been injustices and inequalities in property ownership that have stood in the way of wealth-building opportunities for some underserved populations,” she said. Champlin told listeners that some common hurdles are credit history and down payment requirements, and gave concrete examples: “You can buy a $200,000 home with 5% down and sometimes only 3% down,” she said, adding that that 5% down on a $200,000 house is about $6,000.
On the podcast Champlin and Schmidt stressed available local supports. Champlin pointed to local down-payment assistance programs and community organizations that provide credit-repair and budgeting help, saying, “A great one is Goodwill Industries that will help anyone get the credit help that they need and get the budgeting help that they need to put them on that path.” She also offered an anecdote about a family who brought $240 to closing after receiving assistance.
The conversation also covered outreach and early education. Schmidt said the housing study surfaced the need for better communication about existing programs and for starting outreach earlier, including classroom or after-school programs that expose high-school students to homebuying basics. Champlin described realtor-led seminars and in-school sessions—crediting Jen Gregory at Battle Creek Central for organizing classroom visits that show the long-term difference between renting and owning.
Neither the podcast nor the guests announced formal policy changes or votes. Instead, the pair urged residents to contact trusted realtors and lenders to learn about programs and to take incremental steps—credit repair and saving a modest down payment—over 12 to 18 months. The episode closed with Piatt thanking Schmidt and Champlin and directing listeners to city and realtor resources for more information.
What happens next: Schmidt said the city will continue its housing-study work and pursue partnerships with the Calhoun County Land Bank and developers; Champlin urged community members to attend seminars or contact local realtors to learn about program eligibility and down-payment assistance.
