What do an "unhinged" taco-buying customer, a spoken word duo, and dancers from Move with Joy have in common? They all recently came together to raise awareness and funds for down payment assistance for Edison neighborhood homebuyers.
"Some days it doesn't feel real." That's the reaction David Harris has when he surveys the house that he now calls his own after years of being unhoused.
The enduring impact of racism on affordable housing in Kalamazoo illustrates a direct link between past injustices and present-day housing struggles.
Ten manufactured homes will be going to ten families with school-aged children, families who've experienced homelessness and are at 60% area median income.
The City of Kalamazoo is working with Kalamazoo County to develop strategies to fund projects to help struggling families to find good housing. The intent is to use $1.2 million in federal funding to connect and amplify existing community resources, and to inspire additional investment in them in order to help struggling families to find good housing.
“It used to be, we’d list a home on Monday and I’d get a call on Tuesday to show it on Wednesday. Now we list it on Monday and I get a call asking if I can show it in 5 minutes,” says Jim Hess, a Realtor with Jaqua Realtors in Kalamazoo. Prospective buyers -- and sellers -- have to be prepared for a brisk selling market in multiple price ranges, real estate professionals say.
Approved in 2020, the Kalamazoo County Homes for All Millage was a historic gesture by voters to increase housing affordability in the area. What's been the progress so far? County Housing Director Mary Balkema recently gave a rundown of past, present, and future projects.
Long-awaited Eastside Square, a mixed-use housing and commercial development on East Main conceived of by residents in partnership with the Kalamazoo County Land Bank, is complete and ready for occupancy.
When you dig into the causes behind the lack of affordable housing in Kalamazoo County it turns out one of the big ones is there are not enough houses to meet the demand.
“One of the many things we’ve learned from other communities like this is the need to provide information, allay concerns, and create strong partnerships. There are many misperceptions about safety, security, and how the site will fit with the surrounding neighborhood. We want to address those issues.”
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