AUDIO: Portage City Council approves tax break for housing development

PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM)  —  The Portage City Council has approved granting a sizable tax break to River Caddis, a moderate income housing project proposed to be built right near City Hall.

There is a housing shortage locally and that includes Portage, especially when it comes to young teachers, firefighters, pharmacy workers, adults just starting their careers and many others.

The 180 unit apartment project would be built near Shaver Road and Centre Avenue.

The city was asked by the developer to grant a small payment in lieu of taxes to make it financially possible.

The council agrees that this may be the only way, in this market, to make any workforce housing available.

But not everyone agrees, and resident Robert Williams fears it will mean more congestion and higher taxes for homeowners.

This does not greenlight the project.

The developer still has to appeal to other local, state and federal housing agencies, banks and investors to put together the financing.

They can’t break ground until they do.