KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Kalamazoo County board will be asked to approve some of the special support programs funded by the county housing millage to help keep homeowners in their homes, and to help create new homeowners tonight.
It isn’t all about construction.
Kalamazoo County Housing Director Mary Balkema says the four new programs include Ministry With Community’s proposal to help dozens of the homeless find homes.
Another will help homeowners in the south county area and two separate programs that will help men and women with substance abuse problems transition back from recovery.
“There was about $973,000 in requests and the ad hoc committee chose these 4 and the Housing department concurs with their recommendation,” Balkema says.
The one creative program was proposed by Residential Housing Incorporated to help subsidize 48 units for developmentally developed residents in Kalamazoo and Portage.
“This is a tax credit project where they’re at the end of their tax credit so they could go market rate but we obviously we do not want these folks displaced and they obviously can’t afford a market rate, some of them,” says Balkema.
County board chair Jen Strebs likes the fact that the programs address a variety of community needs.
“The way we are deploying housing millage funds not only tackles affordability, but also some of those social determinants, along with supporting individuals with disabilities in our community,” she says.
The board will also approve allocations by the previous board.
This year the allocation process was handled by an ad-hoc board committee.
Last year it was handled by the full board, which some commissioners felt was an inefficient use of their time.
The ad hoc committee will take up applications for construction projects next month.
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