BACKGROUND: AFFORDABLE, HEALTHY HOUSING
In her 2024 State of the State address, Gov. Whitmer laid out a bold vision for establishing Michigan as a place where every resident can “make it” — a place where people dream of planting their roots. For many of us, the most essential piece of “making it” means having a safe, affordable and healthy home to rest our head and house our families.
Nearly 40% of Michigan’s residential housing stock was built before 1960, many with critical repair needs. A 2020 study found over 37,600 homes in Detroit alone with “inadequate conditions.” The Detroit Repair Program put $20 million towards addressing the city’s housing, but quickly ran out of resources, leaving thousands of residents on a wait list.
What we need is a statewide program that provides holistic funding and program support to improve the quality of our housing, make them safer, and increase their efficiency.