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Grand Rapids Launches $12 Million Housing Initiative

Community engagement in discussions about the new affordable housing campaign in Grand Rapids.

News Summary

Grand Rapids is tackling its affordable housing crisis with a new $12 million campaign by ICCF Community Homes, aiming to create 200 housing units for low-income families and first-time homebuyers. An anonymous $6 million donation will match further contributions, propelling community engagement. Partnerships with local churches and a diverse range of housing projects are underway to meet the pressing need for affordable housing, as highlighted by a recent housing needs assessment indicating a requirement for nearly 35,000 units by 2027.

Grand Rapids is addressing its affordable housing crisis through a new initiative by ICCF Community Homes, which launched a $12 million fundraising campaign aimed at creating 200 housing units. This initiative includes 100 rental units specifically targeting low-income families, while the other 100 are set aside for first-time homebuyers. The campaign, announced recently, is already 80% complete, with approximately $10 million raised to date.

A major boost to this fundraising effort has come from an anonymous $6 million donation, which will match all further contributions dollar for dollar. This matching program presents a time-sensitive opportunity for community engagement, encouraging additional donations to significantly enhance the campaign’s outcome.

ICCF’s president and CEO highlights the urgent need for affordable housing options for individuals with limited income and assets, underscoring that many families in Grand Rapids struggle to find adequate housing. With the partnership of local churches, ICCF aims to leverage available resources, such as vacant buildings or land, to expedite the housing development process.

Notable collaboration is already taking place, with Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church in discussions to utilize its four lots for the construction of multi-family housing. Initially, these units will be available for rent, although there is potential for transitioning them to ownership in the future. Such partnerships have proven effective in the past; ICCF successfully redeveloped the former Seymour Christian School into a 27-unit condominium building purchased in 2020.

The organization’s vision includes developing diverse housing options across multiple projects, ranging from smaller developments with four to ten units to larger complexes featuring dozens of apartments and condominiums. The need for these additional units aligns with findings from a 2022 Housing Needs Assessment in Kent County, which indicates a requirement for 34,699 housing units by the year 2027 to meet the growing demand.

Since its inception in 1974, ICCF has developed over 1,200 housing units, focusing primarily on families earning 80% or less of Kent County’s area median income, which is approximately $68,160 for a two-person household. This ongoing mission signifies a persistent effort to bridge the gap in affordable housing availability within the region.

The organization encourages community members, local churches, and businesses to contribute monetary donations to help further address the housing affordability crisis. By partnering with these establishments, ICCF hopes to draw on local resources and community support to maximize their housing initiatives effectively.

Furthermore, utilizing existing infrastructure on church properties, such as sewer and water hookups, presents an opportunity to streamline the development process, making it more efficient to provide the much-needed housing units to the community. As the campaign continues to garner support, ICCF remains optimistic about meeting its goals and addressing the pressing housing shortage in Grand Rapids and Kent County.