PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) -While the City of Portage hasn’t benefited much from Kalamazoo County’s new affordable housing program yet, it’s something they may try to change.
The voter approved millage will generate about $7 million annually, with a lot of it from Portage because it has the largest concentrations of homes and businesses in the Kalamazoo County. County Housing Director Mary Balkema says about 23% of the income generated by the millage comes from Portage. Portage Mayor Patricia Randall says it’s about time that the city claims a larger portion of that $1.7 million per year.
The Portage City Council has agreed to sell two city owned lots on Oakland Drive to Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services for $500 each. The housing non-profit plans to build two affordable single family homes.
While Portage has participated in affordable housing projects in the past, these are the first using funds from the county housing millage.
Other county funded projects in Galesburg, Oshtemo, and several in the City of Kalamazoo have already been approved as the new millage is appearing for the first time on this year’s tax bills.
(reporting from John McNeill)
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