PORTAGE (WKZO-AM) — Low-income housing will be going up in Portage on East Center Avenue, over the objections of a nearby businessman who isn’t sure the complex is right for the city.
The $12 million Selinon Park project will create 74 new housing units that will be priced to provide housing to low-income families. About one-third of the units will provide housing for individuals with sensory impairments or special needs.
Funding will be set aside for programs to assist those tenants and they will maintain close ties with other social service agencies in the community.
Todd Corstange, whose family owns a nearby bedding plant operation, said he wasn’t convinced it’s a good idea, especially if it’s going to bring problems seen in Kalamazoo — including high poverty and taxes.
But councilmember Claudette Reid said not everyone in Portage is making a good living and there’s high demand for housing like this from current Portage residents.
The council unanimously approved rezoning the land and creating a payment in lieu of taxes agreement for the non-profit, giving it the go-ahead to break ground.
