The housing affordability and availability challenges facing northwest Michigan stem from more than just a single factor.
As staff members for organizations aiming to help address those challenges see it, successful solutions will also require a mix of strategies and contributors to achieve.
“We need to convince all stakeholders that everybody needs to have some skin in this game,” said Steve Schnell, program director for Charlevoix County Housing Ready.
Observers see the region’s housing affordability challenges affecting more than just citizens in low income ranges, extending to some middle-class occupations as well. They also see supply tightness limiting options for a wide range of housing types. As previously reported by the News-Review, a variety of employers see the housing issues posing a challenge for recruiting employees and maintaining necessary staffing levels.