This coming Tuesday, Aug. 8, and Thursday, Aug. 10, the Kent County Finance Committee and the full County Board are scheduled to vote on a revolving loan fund for affordable housing that is expected to grow to $100 million within two years. Together West Michigan’s Housing Team is rallying people to show up in force for both meetings. We would love a good show of support from Westminster. People will be making public comments urging county officials to adopt what we are calling “50-by-50.” That is the aspirational goal that 50 percent of housing units built by the fund be owner-occupied (meaning non-rentals) by the 50% mark, or midpoint, of this 30-year revolving fund. We are worried that, without such a goal, the loan fund will be used primarily for rental units. A major study has shown that the shortage of housing units in Kent County is overwhelmingly for owner-occupied (for-sale) units.
- The Kent County Finance Committee meets at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8.
- The Kent County Board of Commissioners meets at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 10.
Both meetings will be in Room 310 of the Kent County Administration Building. On both mornings we will meet at 8:15 a.m. in the Monroe Level Lobby of the building for last-minute instructions.
I hope many fellow Westminster members will show up. — Ted Hartzell, TWM Housing Team Leader (tedhrz@gmail.com)