CHARLEVOIX — One church is taking on a crisis many Northern Michigan families feel every day.
Instead of selling its land to the highest bidder, the First Baptist Church of Charlevoix is opening its property to create affordable housing. This small congregation hopes to make a big impact on the local housing crisis.
For decades, the church’s six-and-a-half acres sat mostly untouched.
Now church leaders say the need for housing has become impossible to ignore-and the land they’ve held since the 1960s may be the key to keeping families, workers, and seniors in the community.
Here are the 6 acres of land Fist Baptist Church plans on using to create affordable housing for the Charlevoix community.
It sits between a cemetery and Charlevoix Estates -a quiet stretch of land the church has owned since 1968. But pastor David Anderson said the property carries a new purpose for the community.
“The two biggest needs in the community are affordable daycare and affordable housing. And we can help with one or both of those,” said Anderson.
The plan is to open the land for affordable homes-possibly 50 to 60 units by a future developer.
Pastor Dave said the goal isn’t profit, It’s stability.
“87% or more of the houses in Charlevoix are owned by vacationers, which they’re great people, but they’re only here once or twice a year. Where do we live? Where do the people of Charlevoix live?”
Housing North program coordinator Zachary Sompels said 2023 data from housing north shows a need for more than 700 rental units by 2027.
With zoning and unforeseen barriers, he remains hopeful.
“New projects everywhere. Always meet resistance. I’m really optimistic here because people are seeing the need more and more every day.”
The church and Housing North hope to select a developer within the next year. The pastor Dave said the affordable housing units they plan to build would be available for the entire Charlevoix community.