April 2, 2024   

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Gov. Whitmer, MSHDA Director Join Ribbon Cutting for Transformational Kalamazoo Housing Development 

Missing Middle Housing Program supporting new homes, child care for Northside neighborhood 

LANSING, Mich. — Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer recognized Zone 32, a new development now leasing in Kalamazoo’s Northside neighborhood, providing 12 new homes and a child care center through a partnership with the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo.  

“Every Michigander deserves a safe, affordable place to call home, and that’s why we are taking action to make the largest investment to build housing in Michigan history,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Today’s project in Kalamazoo will expand the supply of housing and child care, building on our efforts to lower costs and boost access to both. Together, we will continue to ‘build, baby, build’ more housing so everyone can ‘make it’ in Michigan.” 

Zone 32 received funding through the Missing Middle Housing Program, administered by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), which provided a grant of $920,178 in support of a total construction cost of about $4.7 million. 

“We are moving quickly with innovative solutions like Missing Middle to close gaps and take projects like this one over the finish line,” said Amy Hovey, MSHDA’s Executive Director and CEO. “We’re going to continue listening to our local partners who know their communities best as we work to build thousands of new homes to help bring down costs for all our neighbors.”  

Statewide, the Missing Middle Housing Program is investing $110 million in one-time federal American Rescue Plan Act funding for developers constructing or substantially rehabilitating properties.  

Governor Whitmer remains committed to revitalizing communities, by providing attainable housing options. Released in 2022, Michigan’s first statewide housing plan set a goal of 75,000 units over the next five years. Since Governor Whitmer took office, the State of Michigan has built or rehabilitated 34,000 housing units, supporting 20,000 good-paying construction jobs.   

The State of Michigan will make the largest investment to build housing in Michigan history, nearly $1.4 billion to build or rehabilitate nearly 10,000 homes. That is 10 times what the state invested to build housing 10 years ago. Building more of every kind of housing—single family homes, apartments, and mixed-use buildings—will expand supply and lower costs. Getting this done will also support thousands of good-paying jobs in the skilled trades—from pipefitters and carpenters to bricklayers and roofers. 

Governor Whitmer’s Work to Invest in Affordable & Attainable Housing 

• Released Michigan’s first Statewide Housing Plan, outlining goals and strategies to tackle the state’s affordable and attainable housing crisis.  
• In her 2024 State of the State Address, she announced that the State of Michigan will make the largest investment to build housing in Michigan history, nearly $1.4 billion to build or rehabilitate nearly 10,000 homes. 
• Signed a bipartisan supplemental investing $275 million to build and refurbish thousands of affordable housing units, revitalize communities, and address blight.  
• Secured a sustainable funding source for the Housing and Community Development Fund, to meet affordable, attainable housing needs for working-class families.  
• Secured a sustainable funding source for Revitalization and Placemaking Grants, used to make communities more attractive places to live and work by building housing.  
• Made historic investments in the Building Michigan Together Plan to build and refurbish affordable housing units for working class families. 
• Signed Transformational Brownfield legislation to power economic development and finance affordable housing in communities across Michigan. 
• Helped thousands of families buy homes through the Down Payment Assistance Program and MI Home Loan Mortgage Programs.  
• Helped tens of thousands of families stay in their homes and prevent foreclosure with the funding from the Michigan Homeowners Assistance Fund. 

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