KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — As Kalamazoo County has its housing program, the city of Kalamazoo is also doing what it can to create more affordable housing.
And while the county’s effort is supported by a voter supported Millage, the city is paying for theirs with money from The Foundation For Excellence and Covid Relief Funding: Both which rely on private developers and outside agencies to put up the bulk of the funding, and assist with gap funding, says City Planning Director Antonio Mitchell.
“This is a project that needs multiple tools of financing that requires the city’s involvement, the non-profit’s involvement, probably the bank, and maybe some other funding sources,” said Mitchell. He went onto say that while their efforts are gaining momentum, they continue to face new struggles in the current economy.
“So looking forward, challenges of course, cost of supplies, labor…all those things are going up,” continued Mitchell.
Kalamazoo City Commissioners received a report on the city’s housing efforts at their Monday night meeting on October 4, and learned that it can take 16 months to three years to find funding for affordable housing projects, with all attempts and methods not succeeding.
Kalamazoo City Mayor Dave Anderson, who has been working on affordable housing issues for decades, says despite all the challenges, they are headed in the right direction.
“We are rolling. And I think we have a momentum that we can build on,” said Anderson who feels he has great optimism.
During the meeting, Commissioner Qianna Decker suggested that housing should be a priority when they allocate covid relief dollars.
“We have a once-in-lifetime opportunity to really make a difference, and to really put a dent into some of the lack of housing that just the city has,” said Decker.
While commissioners say that housing is an expensive problem they can only chip away at and may never solve, most elected officials in the county have said they intend to try.
(reporting from John McNeill)
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