GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY — Lawmakers and leaders from different parts of Northern Michigan shared one common frustration that they say is keeping some of the regional economy held back.
“Some of the places that say they’re most concerned with affordable housing make it really hard to build affordable housing, make it really hard to build workforce housing,” said Jeff Donofrio
State Sen. John Damoose, (R) District 37, Harbor Springs, says issues with housing can spiral out of control, especially in Northern Michigan, where seasonal expenses can vary wildly.
“These are all interconnected — companies can’t come here because they don’t have the workforce, a lot of workforce can’t come here because we have a lot of jobs, but not necessarily a lot of careers,” Damoose said. “So they don’t come here, and then if they do decide to come here, they can’t find a place to live.”
Damoose touted a completed Traverse City development as a recent success where community members worked together for a common goal.
“I loved that $5 million we got for the teacher housing. What I loved about it was that TCAPS came together with the Catholic schools, they came together with Interlochen and the ISD,” Damoose said. “And any time you get that many different groups walking arm-in-arm wanting to do something, that’s appealing to me.”
Donofrio says that other policies like public education support can make a difference in the state’s future. When coupled with a push for more housing, Donofrio says that Northern Michigan can address its economic issues.
“The state and the federal government need to be partners to solving those for you,” he said. “They need to have the right economic development system, the right talent development system, have the right supports for K-12 education, for housing, to make that possible.”
Damoose says that the state’s recent efforts have served as more of a bandaid for Michigan’s economic concerns.
Large businesses have received hundreds of millions in tax relief under Gov. Whitmer, policies that have shown mixed results when it comes to supporting long-term job growth.