KALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. — Housing developers and nonprofits working to combat the affordable housing crisis can now apply for funding from the Kalamazoo County housing millage levied on Dec. 1, 2022.
“You can be a for-profit developer or a nonprofit housing organization or a government or another local unit of government to apply for the funding,” said Kalamazoo County Housing Director Mary Balkema.
Once an application is filled out, Balkema will review the applications and the commission will score them. A recommendation from the $3.4 million in funding will be made to the governing board.
Last year the housing millage provided more than $6.7 million in its first year to housing development and supportive services for multifamily, single family, creative projects, and rehab. This year, it will include multifamily, single family, and rehab.
“This is not for market-rate housing. This is not to enrich a private person or a private developer. This is for affordable housing,” she said.
Residents like Darryl Boyd are excited for what's to come. After living in Atlanta for years, Boyd moved back to the area with his boyfriend only to find that the cost of living had increased.
“He is also on disability right now, like I said, from lymphoma, and, you know, it's kind of hard because I'm the only one at the moment that is able to have a full-time job.” Boyd said since he returned to Kalamazoo, the price of rent at his old apartment has doubled.
“It is very crappy looking for a house,” he said.
Situations like Boyd’s is why Balkema said solving this “housing crisis” is a major priority.
After conducting a housing study, she said they were 7,750 units short of affordable housing.
“We had an increase in population and the number of building units did not keep pace, and then the wages did not keep pace with the cost of construction and the materials.” Balkema said she hopes that with developers taking advantage of the housing millage, the county can get at least 4,000 new affordable units within eight years.
The online application portal opened Tuesday and will remain open until Feb. 17.
To access the AmpliFund portal, which provides the funding opportunities, please click on the links below:
