GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A new executive order signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Monday will give more housing resources to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).
The governor signed the order at a Grand Rapids Economic Club meeting and aims to allow more flexible funding to be available to the MSHDA to build and refurbish new and existing homes faster.
“We need to build more housing in Michigan as efficiently and effectively as possible,” said Whitmer. “Today, I am proud to sign an executive order to bring more housing resources under the authority of our state’s housing and development authority. Getting this done will help us move faster on housing projects so we can help more Michiganders have a safe, affordable place to call home.”
Whitmer's executive order reorganizes how the state funds housing projects in Michigan. Federal funding from the Community Development Block Grant will now be administered by the MSHDA instead of the Michigan Strategic Fund.
Whitmer says the change will allow more flexible funding options for housing projects in Michigan, which would speed up the construction and renovation of homes.
The executive order comes on the heels of a $1 billion piece of legislation signed into law on Jan. 31. The legislation invests in building affordable housing, revitalizing communities and supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Whitmer's administration has been focusing on housing shortages in the state over the last several months. In September of 2022, Whitmer and MSHDA released the state’s first-ever Statewide Housing Plan with the goal of building or rehabilitating over 75,000 housing units statewide in the next five years.
You can read the executive order here.
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