Housing Next released details summarizing work on the Kent County Corridor Strategy, highlighting the potential to meet housing demand through better utilization of wasted space in commercial corridors. The strategy recommends a focused effort of development and investment in commercial corridors to create more affordable housing options, new community resources and amenities.
With a need for an additional 35,000 housing units in Kent County alone by 2027, supply solutions at scale are necessary to provide a more accelerated response to the housing shortage.
“We are excited to provide direction on housing supply solutions affordably and at scale alongside our community partners. It will take all of us – developers, investors, and community leaders – to challenge the status quo and create the kinds of communities we need but have not yet seen,” said Brooke Oosterman, Executive Director of Housing Next.
Housing Next, the organization responsible for facilitating the Kent County Housing Needs Assessment and housing supply solutions in the region, first shared the vision last summer at the Grand Rapids Policy Conference and has since been working alongside Flywheel Community Development Services Founder/CEO Ryan Kilpatrick to move the analysis forward.
The Kent County Corridor Strategy highlights:
- Kent County boasts dozens of underdeveloped road corridors with existing sewer, water, and transportation infrastructure.
- Analysis of 36 of these corridors reveals more than 4,000 acres of vacant and underdeveloped land with access to sewer and water.
- Developing just 10 – 15% of these parcels could accommodate all of the 35,000 homes needed in Kent County.
- These homes can come in the form of apartments, condos, townhomes, small cottages, and single-family houses, benefiting renters and first-time homebuyers.
- Development at this scale would generate hundreds of millions in new tax revenue to support current and future community services.
“We have been working on our own local approach and have received great support from the community. We look forward to sharing what we have done with other communities and being a part of this collaborative and important work,” said Cameron Van Wyngarden, Township Superintendent for Plainfield Charter Township.
Housing Next will continue to advance this work, leveraging and building upon statewide and local partnerships and tools, with the plan to release the Kent County Corridor strategy in its entirety early next year. The plan will include identification of key areas for growth, a local pattern book and tools to move the initiative forward. The Housing Next team will also be identifying opportunity sites in which this strategy will be successful.
“Stakeholders across the County working together towards a common goal – one that remains a critical challenge for current residents and future growth – is a win for all of us. The Kent County Corridor Strategy is a financially sustainable and scalable approach to smart regional growth,” said Al Vanderberg, Kent County Administrator.
Implementation of the strategy must include cross sector engagement to do three things well:
- Update local zoning regulations to better align with current market needs.
- Invest in streets, parks, and trails to create lively, desirable neighborhoods.
- Collective investment by impact investors, private capital, and public financing to target more innovative and affordable housing options.
“This work supports talent attraction and job creation through placemaking while simultaneously creating abundant housing opportunities for current and new residents,” said Joshua Lunger, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Grand Rapids Chamber.
Next steps are already underway with Housing Next convening key stakeholders, including the investment community, developers and local jurisdictions. Among these efforts, they will be partnering on events in Grand Haven and Grand Rapids this fall, bringing national speaker Chuck Marohn, founder and president of Strong Towns to the region. Chuck is a civil engineer and land use planner with decades of experience, named one of the 10 most influential urbanists of all time.
“We recognize the importance of all rowing in the same direction for the future prosperity of the region and are glad to be a part of removing barriers to providing more affordable housing options,” said Lauren Davis, President, West Michigan Region, Huntington Bank.
The full executive summary can be found here.
