Northwest Michigan Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization and equal opportunity housing provider that also operates as a licensed builder, lender, and retailer.
The organization, which recently merged with Cheboygan Habitat for Humanity, now covers a larger area of northern Michigan.
Serving Emmet, Charlevoix, and Cheboygan counties, its mission is to help individuals and families overcome challenges like rising rent costs, overcrowded living conditions, and limited access to land and financing by building stable, affordable homes. The organization also offers reduced mortgage rates for its homeowners.
Kyle Ulrich, the development director for Northwest Michigan Habitat for Humanity, said the organization builds 10 to 15 houses per year.
The organization previously built one to two per year, until a local housing needs assessment disclosed the need for 2,500 units of for-sale housing in the area.
“We immediately saw the disparity,” Ulrich said. “There was a massive need. And building one to two homes is great, but it wasn’t really meeting the demand that was there.”
The organization began using modular construction to meet the growing need, which allows building those structures off-site.
The Modular Building Institute states that this method of construction generates less waste and allows projects to be completed in half the time of traditional construction.
Ulrich said the organization is now “far eclipsing” its previous pace and expects to produce even more houses in the coming years.
Northwest Michigan Habitat for Humanity sources its land through market purchases or bargain sales, funded by private philanthropy and grants. Ulrich said that approximately 90% of the land purchases are privately funded.
Volunteer efforts, Ulrich said, are “one of the building blocks” of the organization. Northwest Michigan Habitat for Humanity offers both individual and group volunteer opportunities, providing the chance to make “a tangible difference in the lives of families and communities.”
Ulrich emphasized that the homes built by the organization are sold to hard-working individuals who cannot keep up with the demands of the current housing market.
“We don’t give the homes away,” he said. “I think it surprises a lot of people that we’re selling these homes to nurses, we’re selling these homes to youth mental health counselors, librarians, pharmacists … These are people with good jobs. There’s just, again, that lack of housing options in our area.”
Paige Boughner and her husband. Sean, bought a house in Alanson from Northwest Michigan Habitat for Humanity in 2024.
Originally from Indian River, Boughner said they had a difficult time finding a house in Michigan. When they found one that seemed to fit the couple perfectly, another buyer put in an offer significantly above the asking price, which they could not match.
She said she eventually gave up looking for a house because the market prices were so high, other buyers could offer cash on the spot, and any remotely affordable house needed significant renovations.
“We tried to keep our eyes open, but we didn’t have high hopes for finding anything at all,” Boughner said.
She was familiar with Habitat for Humanity, she said, but did not know a lot about what the organization offered. She assumed her annual household income would be too high to qualify, but she took the chance and began the application process.
After a short pause for the birth of her son, Boughner said the application process was quick and straightforward.
Having lived in their place now for more than a year now, Boughner said she has encouraged others struggling to find affordable housing in the current market to apply for a Habitat for Humanity home.
“It doesn’t hurt to try,” she said.
