KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Is Kalamazoo County moving fast enough to solve its housing crisis? A new study says no.
The W.E. Upjohn Institute has just updated its analysis of the local housing market, first conducted when the county was considering a housing millage vote years ago.
Researcher Emily Petz says the first study said 7,750 new homes were needed. The updated study says they now project a need for 8,000 new homes by 2030.
Petz says the gap is growing between what homes cost and what people can pay, and the gap is greatest for low-income residents.
County commissioners got a briefing on the study last night.
She says the study also shows one segment of the population is being neglected, “the missing middle,” who want something bigger than an apartment, and something smaller than a family home, but still want to own.
That includes young workers just starting out and elderly empty-nesters looking for something more manageable.
One reason construction is behind schedule is because it’s so difficult. Kalamazoo County Assistant Housing Director Willa DiTaranto says 60% of the money allocated from the county housing millage over the last two years has not yet been spent because the projects are still in the pipeline.
The county is “continuously in communication with the developers to ensure that we are moving things along.”
It could be a year or longer before the housing they produce is ready for occupancy.
The county board will use the study’s findings to help shape their 2025 allocations from the housing millage. That process will begin soon.
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