TRAVERSE CITY — The City Commision held a special study session Monday night to talk about the housing crisis impacting the city and the state.
They heard presentations from several organizations to help address housing availability and affordability. They include:
- Liz Keegan, Fair Housing Center of West Michigan
Keegan gave a presentation on how the city can remain compliant of the federal Fair Housing Act. She provided an overview of the act as well as several different forms of housing discrimination. She said local governments can engage in discrimination by being too restrictive when it comes to building certain types of new housing, especially for those of different backgrounds and lower income levels. Those decisions can often be influenced by members of the community. One of the examples is what’s called “NIMBYism.” NIMBY refers to “Not In My BackYard.” She talked about ways the city can take steps make sure they remain in line with the FHA.
- Tony Lentych, Michigan State Housing Development Authority
Lentych went over the steps the State of Michigan is taking to build more housing for workers in the state. He said the state invested $2.2 billion in housing in 2024, which is a record. He also outlined some startling statistics. In Michigan, in 1991, the median age for first-time home buyers was 28. Now it’s 38. In 1991 the median age for a homeowner was 36. Now it’s 56.
- Sarah Lucas, Office of Rural Prosperity
Lucas is the head of a newer office, created just three years ago by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. They advocate for the needs of rural communities. Traverse City is still considered a rural community because it serves rural areas surrounding it. They help rural communities with data, and visioning with a focus on community engagement and collaboration.
- Susan Leithauser-Yee, Housing North
Leithauser-Yee discussed Neighborhood Enterprise Zones and tax abatements to help them rehabilitate obsolete or blighted properties. The legislation that created NEZs was revised in 2022 to include a tool to increase rental housing and density that, right now, is far below healthy market levels. She explained how the city can use NEZs to address its housing needs.
- Lauren Trible-Laucht, City Attorney
Trible-Laucht was on hand to explain the Attainable Housing Facilities Act (AHFA) and the Residential Housing Facilities Act (RHFA), both pieces of legislation enacted by the State in 2022. They create housing availability and affordability by creating a tax incentive program that local governments can use to support their own goals. The AHFA applies to projects with four or fewer units. The RHFA is for projects with five or more units.
The City Commission plans to take a closer look at all of their options to address the overall housing crisis in the area at future meetings.