Michigan has been working to add housing of all types around the state to address a chronic housing shortage.
The governor has appointed the CEO of an economic development corporation in Traverse City to the state housing board help bring a more rural perspective. The difference between addressing rural and urban housing shortages can come in different ways, like size and scope.
That’s according to Warren Call, the CEO of Traverse Connect. While he hasn’t sat through his first board meeting yet, he said he is happy to bring a different perspective to the board.
“From a standpoint of small, rural region versus big city, there’s going to be a difference in the size and scope of projects," he said. "The bigger the project, the more there’s economy of scale, so a huge apartment project that might make sense in Grand Rapids or Detroit, we can’t do here.”
Call said the state lost skilled workers when many migrated out of Michigan in 2008.
"Really this is a long term issue," he said. "In order to get more houses built is to get more people building houses, and the way to do that is to get younger people interested in careers in the skilled trade."
Alongside Call, Jonathan Bradford was also appointed, according to a press release from the state. He is a retired CEO of the Inner City Christian Federation, a nonprofit housing developer and services provider in Grand Rapids.