GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A Housing Needs Assessment shows the overall housing gap in Kent County has narrowed slightly.
The study prepared for the Housing Next organization indicates Kent County added more than 6,000 new housing units from 2022 through 2024. But the report also shows that the county will need to add nearly 34,000 new housing units by 2029 to keep pace with the growing demand.
Josh Lunger is Vice President of Government Affairs with the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce. He said on West Michigan's Morning News the narrowing of the housing gap stems from an uptick in development, mainly among rental and high-end single-family homes.
However, he told WOOD Radio that more housing supply is needed for people in the middle-income range.
"There's a huge demand there. It helps not only folks in that income range, but there are people in the low-income range waiting to move up who can't find that house. Because the next opportunity for them is way priced outside their area," Lunger said.
Taking advantage of tax-increment financing, better zoning ordinances and utilizing some loan funds set up by Kent County are some ways the Grand Rapids Chamber envisions potential progress in that respect.
"We're prepared. And we're still a growing region, so it's exciting. And now, we've just got to stay committed to it," Lunger said.
He mentioned that Housing Next is trying to focus on corridors with existing infrastructure, where municipal water and sanitary sewer are already installed, along with roads that are built. He said the Plainfield Avenue corridor is one location where a couple of projects have been approved for development.
"And Wyoming's got their City Center. You're starting to see it. It's hard and it takes maybe 10 to 20 years to see the whole picture come together. But we've got to take action today with that kind of vision," Lunger said.
He noted that Grand Rapids has done a lot of work to its zoning. Gaines Charter Township also has updated its zoning ordinance and Future Land Use Plan, and several housing and apartment projects are being built in the Caledonia and Dutton areas of the township.
"I think we need to see a few of the more inter-ring, urbanized communities look at ways they can make it easier to build. So that it's not tough to navigate the process," Lunger said.
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