HOLLAND, Mich. — Construction is nearly complete on Hope Apartments at 100 W. 10th St. in Holland, a 14-unit affordable housing development set to begin accepting applications as soon as July 1.
WATCH: Holland's Hope Apartments nears completion, bringing 14 affordable units to address housing gap
The two-story building with an elevator is part of a broader effort to address a growing affordable housing shortage in Ottawa County.
Nathan Poel of Dwelling Place said the need for affordable housing in Holland has been consistent.
"We've seen a pretty significant but steady need for affordable housing. This community has done a fantastic job of stepping up, trying to find, advocate for, and allocate resources towards affordable housing, but there is still a gap," Poel said.
According to Housing Next, the county will need 3,938 more rental units by 2030 to meet local demand. Since 2021, the county has permitted 1,672 new rental homes — an average of 418 per year — but only 26% are income-restricted, meaning affordable at or below 80% of the area median income.
Hope Apartments was developed through a collaboration among Hope Church, Dwelling Place, the City of Holland, Community Action House, and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.
Hope Church originally owned the property where the building now sits.
PRIOR COVERAGE: City of Holland to gain 52 mixed-income affordable housing units
"They brought it in specifically because they saw a need for housing for people with disabilities in this community," said Poel.
The development gives preference to people with disabilities and includes MSHDA 811 vouchers to provide supplemental income for residents to help cover housing costs. A handful of units will also be set aside for tribal members.
Hope Apartments is one of two buildings in the partnership. Kollen Park Apartments, located at 345 W. 14th St., is a 38-unit development also under construction by Orion Construction. Poel said the two projects were combined into a single tax credit deal.
Together, the two buildings will bring 52 affordable housing units to Holland.
Brad Walsh, president of Orion Construction, said the construction process has gone smoothly.
"We're in that finished mode of construction, so within the next two, three months, we'll be turning this over," Walsh said. "14 units doesn't seem like a lot, but it'll mean a lot to the people who do move in here. ... We're happy to be part of the project and happy to give back to the West Michigan community, especially Holland."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
