Ensuring housing availability at all price points. That’s the objective driving the work of Housing Next, a cross-sector collaborative effort focused on supporting housing solutions for all income levels in our community. More than 36% of Ottawa County families are currently struggling to make ends meet. For many of these families, a severe lack of housing options at prices they can afford is a major factor in why this equation doesn’t add up.

The growing concern across the business, nonprofit, and public sectors around this issue prompted the Community Foundation to step up with a five year $500,000 Community Impact Grant from our Community’s Endowment to equip Housing Next to take on this challenge.

This funding supports the operations of Housing Next and provides flexible resources to help ensure our community can build the ecosystem necessary to tackle our affordable housing challenge for the long-term.

In the past year, this work included conducting a Housing Needs Assessment which yielded detailed data about the current and future demand for different housing products at different price points. It also involved Housing Next serving as a resource to local government partners as they consider what this information means for their communities and how they can impact what types of housing are financially viable to build.

In addition, Housing Next continues to work closely with nonprofits and other community partners to better understand the community supports and relationship building that transform houses into homes and developments into communities.

“The more we talk, the more I think we are finding alignment around how best to improve the economic and regulatory climate to create more housing and to do it in a way that catalyzes economic vitality, spurs private investment and ensures neighborhood stability over the long term,” said Ryan Kilpatrick, Housing Next Executive Director.

“There is big work ahead and we’re excited to find as many partnerships across the community to get it done as we can.”

Originally featured in the Community Foundation’s 2018 Annual Report.