Michigan Planning for Affordable Housing Production

Housing affordability is on the political agenda in Michigan.

1 minute read

February 14, 2023, 7:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Michigan State Capital

Jason Grindle / Shutterstock

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has spent the past few weeks pushing for reforms that will make it easier to build affordable housing in the state, also sending significant resources from the state to fund construction.

Gov. Whitmer on Monday, February 6 signed an executive order to speed up the process of building and renovating affordable housing in the state by giving the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) more authority over housing resources.

“This will allow MSHDA to have more flexible funding to promote housing innovation and ensure funds are allocated faster to build affordable housing quicker,” according to an article published by WNDU.

A few days later, on February 8, Gov. Whitmer announced her budget proposal for the coming fiscal year, including a proposal for $437 million in affordable housing funds. “Her new $437 million affordable housing proposal comes on top of an additional $300 million for housing the Legislature recently approved for this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30,” according to an article by Andrew Roth for the Capital News Service.

According to Roth, Gov. Whitmer’s affordable housing budget proposal includes funding for a “Missing Middle Housing” program. More details on the state of the state’s housing market are included in the Roth article, linked below.

Wednesday, February 8, 2023 in Midland Daily News

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

Mamdani behind a microphone, in front of a snowbank

Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge

A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.

November 6 - CNN

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6 - Grist

People board a bus in Seattle.

Seattle passes record-breaking transit services expansion

Proposition 1 will double the city’s transit tax to add 95,000 more bus trips and preserve 180,000 bus trips annually.

November 6 - KOMO News

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.