Currently in Emmet County: according to the Housing Needs Assessment conducted in June of 2023, 3,370 housing units are needed through 2027, which includes 865 rental units and 2,505 for sale units. While SEVERAL projects are underway throughout the county (YAY!!!), those in the "building" and/or selling/leasing phase only account for 242 homes and 270 apartments. Other units are in the planning phase, and others are seeking approvals and funding. Still, the remaining gap is 226 rental units and 2,263 for-sale homes through 2027.
Our population is aging - 33.3% of Emmet County's population is older than 60. That means fewer people are in the workforce to support a population with a higher demand for healthcare, retirement support services, restaurants, recreation, etc. Currently, the following occupations cannot afford to rent OR buy a home in Emmet County (this list is not exhaustive): Bookkeepers, Office Administrators, School Teachers, Registered Nurses, Medical Assistants, Accountants, Landscapers, Construction Laborers, Carpenters, Electricians... the list goes on.
Do we want our communities to be places where our kids and grandkids can choose to live like we had the luxury of doing a few short years ago? Our economy has changed completely, and the working class can no longer sustain itself in our region. Regardless, people of all socioeconomic statuses will keep moving here. So, do we want to plan, help manage, and guide that inevitable change in our communities? Or do we want to let it happen to us?
Donate to Housing North because our work out in the field helps our local governments manage the change happening in a way that will work best for their communities. This allows us to continue to prosper as a place for all to call home.
Review the Housing Needs Assessment Summary here:
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