Housing Town Hall Focuses on Solutions and Benefits of Working Together Planning experts, philanthropists, builders, social service workers, community members, and local leaders gathered on an icy Saturday morning in January to witness stories of successful housing projects told by the folks who’ve built them. Hosted by the Western Washtenaw Regional Advisory Group (WWRAG), the morning kicked off with a joint presentation of housing challenges led by professional planners from Dexter, Chelsea, and Washtenaw County. The experts spoke about the state of housing in Western Washtenaw and how, and why, providing attainable housing is so complicated. From stock deficits, soaring building/land costs, limited access to ‘right fit’ developers, restrictive zoning policies, and lack of sufficient funding for housing programs; there is no shortage of challenges to providing more affordable options in our communities.
The main speakers who presented next were specifically chosen to showcase projects that have taken on the myriad of challenges. Kate Redman, the Co-Executive Director of Commongrounds Cooperative, captivated the audience with her chronology of working with Traverse City, and hundreds of community members, to build a beautiful mixed-use center that features commercial uses on the ground floor – focused on food, family, arts, and wellness – and workforce housing on the upper floors. This combined use building was collaboratively funded as, and owned by, a cooperative. Read more about this innovative community centered solution at commongrounds.coop
Craig Patterson, Senior Vice President of Woda Cooper Companies, shared photos and wisdom from dozens of projects completed throughout Michigan, designed to fit the communities in which they were built. This experienced team works successfully with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and individual communities to navigate the complexity of bringing an affordable project to bear. Explore some of the affordable housing communities managed by this employee-owned company at wodagroup.com.
Lastly, the group heard from Chris Miller, a founding board member of The National Coalition for Community Capital, about the value of locally sourced financial capital. Chris presented options for how community members can invest in Michigan businesses and housing in their own backyard. More information about community capital can be found at nc3now.org
The morning concluded with a robust Q & A and calls for more gatherings to bring housing advocates together. Every presenter spoke about how vital it is for the public to be part of the solutions in their communities. Ways to stay involved in the discussion could include attending WWRAG housing focused meetings, contacting your local leaders to express support, and/or joining housing groups in your area.
The City of Chelsea recently approved the formation of a Chelsea area Housing Commission to include community members within the Chelsea School District. For more information about WWRAG or to apply for a seat on the Housing Commission see www.chelsea city.org/government/boards_commissions
Video from the event as well as copies of the presentation slides are available to view at city-chelsea.org
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