Grant will help U.P. communities eliminate blight

What's happening: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Office of Labor and Economic Opportunity have announced the recipients for more than $72 million in grants from the State Land Bank Authority to help support affordable housing opportunities across the state. Upper Peninsula communities will receive $1,179,579.90, or roughly 1.62 percent, of the total program funding, with four county and three municipal entities splitting the amount across the region.

Blight elimination funding: Development projects are often on underutilized land parcels identified by local land banks, struggling with blighted buildings. These buildings could become problematic for a number of different reasons over time, but funding from the final rounds of the state’s Blight Elimination Program will help remove and restore these properties so they can house families once again.

What they're saying: “These dollars are not just figures on a balance sheet, they signify a tangible investment in Michigan’s future,” said Susan Corbin, director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and chair of the State Land Bank Board of Directors. “The distribution of funding in rounds three and four represent the culmination of a historic contribution to land banking and blight elimination that will make a real difference, revitalizing neighborhoods, stimulating economic growth and fostering a sense of pride and possibility across our state.”

What's next: As money is dispersed to the local recipients, bidding processes will begin to take care of the blight. According to the Office of Labor and Economic Opportunity, 198 properties were rehabilitated across Michigan last year.

“Building new and rehabilitated housing in our built environment is a challenge, but we are up to the challenge and recognize that it’s an essential piece of growing our state,” said Amy Hovey, CEO and executive director of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. “A significant portion of these Blight Elimination grant dollars are being used to support affordable housing – adding another layer of support to the state’s efforts to provide innovative funding to solve problems locally and address Michigan’s housing needs.”