KENTWOOD, Mich. — As the demand for housing rises across West Michigan, cities like Wyoming and Kentwood are focusing on attracting new developments to accommodate the influx of residents.
One such development is Walnut Woods, a single-family project located on Kentwood's southeast side, which promises to bring over 60 units to the city. Jen Radaz, senior manager for Housing Next, a non-profit advocate for increasing housing in the area, highlighted the urgency of the situation. "We're seeing a huge need in both rental and for-sale housing. In Kent County alone, we need just over 33,000 housing units," she said.
Construction is already underway for Walnut Woods, a 31-acre residential venture expected to create 62 new homes. The push for additional housing is driven by a mix of newcomers and household growth in the area.
"A lot of people are moving to this area. We're also seeing just household growth. Not necessarily population growth, but college kids are moving out of their parent's houses and needing housing, marriages, kids growing up in general,"Radaz mentioned.
Wyoming is also witnessing a surge in development, with a new project on 52nd Street potentially adding 207 single-family units.
Mike McGraw, owner of Eastbrook Homes and the developer behind the Wyoming initiative, expressed his vision during a city council meeting in early July. "We take a lot of pride in what we do. We try to develop communities where people raise their kids and live for many years, where we can see multiple generations living in proximity to one another, which I think is likely to happen here," McGraw said.
Housing Next emphasizes that these developments are essential for community prosperity. "If families can't rent, their kids have to go to another school community, and so you're losing out on education there. So it is all affected, and it is all connected," Housing Next commented.
The choices made today will shape the future landscape of these communities, particularly impacting certain financial groups. "Housing is the largest need in this area. People making between $42,000 to $100,000 in their yearly income—that's the biggest gap we're seeing. That's about over 50% of the need falls in that area," Housing Next noted.
Housing Next encourages dialogue among cities and residents to address the growing demand for housing in Kentwood and beyond.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
