EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — There are 15 upcoming meetings to discuss housing needs in Michigan, and one of those meeting will take place this week in East Lansing.
Michigan is about 190,000 units short of housing, which Amy Hovey of the Michigan State Housing Development says is a lot of housing to get built.
“Seeing a person go from being homeless to having stable housing, of course is a great feeling, but it’s really about that person and why we’re providing them with housing, which is stable housing leads to better health outcomes, better educational attainment, economic stability and ability to have social supports, that help makes us successful,” Hovey said.
The state plans to build or refurbish 75,000 housing units as a result of the housing crisis.
Hovey said the cost of our housing has increased about 84%, and incomes have only increased by 25% in the same time period.
As a result, both homeownership and rental opportunities are out of reach. Luckily, there are funds allocated towards this problem.
“We need to know the best way to put those funds out there, and we need the community to tell us what their priorities are rather than us telling them what we have available,” Hovey said.
Hovey said the number one goal is to have these voices heard at the regional housing meeting and to have a plan that matches the values of people in each region.
For those that would like to join the conversation, the meeting will take place Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Hannah Community Center in East Lansing.
