Housing North receives support for work through 2025 in Charlevoix, Emmet counties

NORTHERN MICHIGAN — A housing initiative was approved for an expansion and extension in two Northern Michigan counties, Housing North announced this week.

The Housing Ready Program from Housing North helps remove barriers for housing development and increase housing availability throughout the region. Thanks to local grants, the program will be supported in Charlevoix and Emmet counties through 2025.

The extension of the program is supported by grants from the Charlevoix County Community Foundation and the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, according to a release from Housing North.

"This funding enables us to sustain and extend our Housing Ready Program for an additional two years, providing essential technical support to address housing needs in Charlevoix and Emmet counties," Yarrow Brown, Housing North’s executive director, said in the release. "Our goal is to continue fostering housing development that meets the diverse needs of our communities."

Brown told the News-Review that while there are community groups that have a focus on housing, it is often just a part of the work they do, or it is volunteer-driven, limiting the work they can do.

"There's just a lot of need out there," Brown said. "I don't think people realize how much it takes to actually get a housing project through to the finish line ... I think our work is critical to just keep it at the forefront and be there to help the communities address their needs and and do what we can to help. It's not just about pushing high density development, it's about meeting the community where they are and trying to help them remove those barriers."

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Through the program, Housing North collaborates with local governments, organizations and developers to update zoning codes and explore options for housing expansion.

The work is also supported and funded by contracts and services for some units of government as well as private donations.

"It's validating," Brown told the News-Review. "It feels good to know that they still believe in our mission and our work is critical, and even though it doesn't always result in actual housing units, it is very impactful and it shows that we're making progress."

According to the release, studies show there are 31,000 housing units needed in the 10 counties Housing North covers, with 2,358 needed in Charlevoix County and 3,370 needed in Emmet County. Of the 31,000 units, Brown said, 22,000 of the necessary units would be considered below market rate.

— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN .

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Housing North receives support for work through 2025 in Charlevoix, Emmet counties