Summary
At its June 10, 2025 meeting, the Leelanau Township Board reviewed a proposal from Housing North, part of the Northwest Michigan Rural Housing Partnership, offering a fee-for-service contract to provide technical support on housing initiatives. The document outlines potential areas of assistance rather than decisions already made; no vote or formal action is recorded in this material.
Affordable Housing Initiatives
Housing North proposed several areas of support for the Township: (1) assistance pursuing grants and funding such as MiNeighborhood, the Employer Assisted Housing Fund, and Rural Readiness Grants; (2) guidance on housing tools including an Attainable Housing District, Residential Facilities options, and a PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) policy expected in the third week of June; (3) help forming a Housing Action Team or Collaborative, citing examples from Manistee County (formed 2022), Wexford County, and Emmet County's Little Traverse Bay Housing Partnership; (4) support drafting RFPs/RFQs to attract developers, referencing examples from East Jordan and Mackinaw City; (5) development of a Housing Action Plan (HAP) for the Township in collaboration with the Village of Northport, with examples cited from Manistee and Kalkaska, and note that a county-wide Leelanau Housing Action Plan is being developed with partners; and (6) education/outreach events, including a possible Housing Tax Incremental Financing (HTIF) workshop in September.
Background provided notes Housing North has operated in Leelanau County since 2022, initially funded by Rotary Charities of Traverse City and the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, with three-year funding commitments from Leelanau Christian Neighbors, the Leelanau Township Community Foundation, Leelanau County, and the Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce. The organization is transitioning to a fee-for-service model. Additional resources mentioned include a Housing Ready Checklist and Communication Toolkit, a Rapid Response Fund (regional revolving loan fund), a Zoning Atlas (funded for Leelanau County this summer), a Gap Financing spreadsheet, and a Housing Exchange Platform for listing RFPs.
Action Items
- Township to consider engaging Housing North under a fee-for-service contract for technical housing support.
- Potential formation of a Housing Action Team or Collaborative, if pursued by the Township.
- Collaboration with the Village of Northport on a Housing Action Plan, pending further development.
- Await release of Housing North's PILOT policy, expected the third week of June.
- Possible scheduling of an HTIF education workshop in September.
- Monitor forthcoming county-wide Leelanau Housing Action Plan expected to be shared in coming months.