Whitmer announces housing and energy affordability plans to lower cost of living in Michigan • Michigan Advance

Whitmer set an initial goal of creating 75,000 additional units of affordable housing in Michigan during the 2021 Mackinac Policy, but with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) reporting that the agency has already created nearly 50,000 units ahead of schedule, the target is now being achieved. increased by 53% to 115,000.

It’s a decision MSHDA Executive Director Amy Hovey told the Advance ahead of the announcement shows an understanding on the part of the state of the widespread effects that access to housing can have on local communities and the state as a whole.

“If we want economic growth, if we want high levels of education, if we want people to be happy, if we want crime to go down, it all depends on people having stable housing and quality,” Hovey said. THE Advance. “The confidence the governor has placed in our agency to work with partners across the state to develop even more housing and increase this goal excites me…the fact that she sees promise in our agency and the fact that ‘it increases the objective.’

The 75,000-person goal was always an important goal, Hovey said — one that required state, local and federal partners to come together. Raising the goal only reinvigorates the progress MSHDA has made.

“It really gives me that kind of invigoration that you need to say, ‘OK, we’re doing this’ because it gets tiring, you’re in the trenches, you’re trying to make meaningful change and bring everyone along. and to see that people recognize that we are achieving this is exciting,” Hovey said.

Housing is recognized by Michigan stakeholders as a key component of the state’s population growth and talent retention in Michigan’s workforce. The Growing Michigan Together Council, charged by Whitmer with providing advice on Michigan’s population growth, identified housing as a priority to focus on for population growth in his report in December.

The board said in its report that Michigan found itself in “an ongoing crisis and must act now” as a state. fell ranked 49th in terms of population growth.

But Michigan is working on things, Whitmer said, acknowledging that it will take work to get more people to understand that Michigan is a place to make a life.

“Things are moving in the right direction,” Whitmer said. “There are projects underway everywhere to build new housing, revitalize our communities and create more commercial space across our state and of course we’re fixing the damn roads. Don’t complain (about construction). You are welcome.”

Cost of living in Michigan outpaces wage growth, state finds some of the highest rent increases in the country in recent years and young people in particular are leaving the state in search of higher salaries.