Thanks to Housing Next, Ottawa County is making strides in addressing our community's housing shortage.
Housing Next was formed as a 5-year pilot initiative to work closely with local units of government, developers and non-profits to remove barriers to the creation of more housing supply at all price points. We're at the half-way point in the 5-year program, and Executive Director, Ryan Kilpatrick is eager to update the community on the progress, and to get everyone involved in the discussion.
More than 36% of Ottawa County families are struggling to make ends meet. For many of these families, this is due to a severe lack of housing choice. The choices that are available have not kept up with modern demands, and the consequence is that our area is experiencing a significant housing shortage. We must be thinking about the next era of housing supply and community design that permits a high quality of life in a financially sustainable pattern of living.
How is Housing Next Addressing Our Housing Shortage?
Housing Next Priorities
These are our current areas of focus:
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Increase Housing Supply at all Price Points
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Offer support to developers and communities interested in building more housing for our workforce
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Develop partnerships and build capacity among all of our regional housing advocates
In this episode of Member Question fo the Day, I'm joined by Ryan Kilpatrick, Executive Director of Housing Next. Ryan talked with me about the progress being made to address the housing shortage issue in our community over the past 2 years, and what the next phase of the project will involve.