Michigan's residents deserve to live in vibrant communities with the kinds of services and amenities associated with a high standard of living. The state can continue to create a strong foundation for communities to grow by making historic investments in broadband, housing, and other critical infrastructure.
Safe and affordable housing is critical to ensure the health, safety and well-being of Michigan residents as communities across Michigan are grappling with unique and varied housing needs. While housing challenges existed before the pandemic, COVID-19 has certainly exacerbated them. Knowing that a strong community starts with a family's home, the Governor is creating the state's first housing goal in order to address this challenge that is occurring nationally.
The lack of high-speed internet access can cause too many Michiganders to struggle in their ability to engage in online learning, to use telemedicine to seek needed healthcare, to search for a new job or to take advantage of all the online resources. With high-speed internet becoming a necessity in our educational, professional, and personal lives, every home and business in our state needs access to an affordable, reliable high-speed connection that meets their needs and the skills to use it effectively. A fully connected Michigan is essential for our state to reach its economic potential in the 21st-century global economy.
Goal
↑ 75,000 new or rehabilitated housing units in five years. (FY22-FY26)
Short-Term Objectives
Goal
↑ 100% access to high-speed internet and 95% adoption by households during the next five years - while continually investing in higher quality access.
Short-Term Objectives
13,113Over $151 million used to finance 13,113 units of affordable housing with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) |
11,627Over $1.59 billion used to finance single-family home mortgages and down payment assistance for 11,627 households. |
249,980Over 249,980 people have been helped through the COVID Emergency Rental Assistance Program with more than $913,562,600 in aid. |
$49,871,000Over $49,871,000 has been used to help homeowners prevent the personal devastation of foreclosure through the Michigan Homeowner Assistance Fund. |
On June 2, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an Executive Directive to expand high-speed internet access for people in Michigan, creating the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI). Its vision was simple - to ensure that "every home and business in Michigan will have access to an affordable, reliable high-speed internet connection that meets their needs."
High-speed internet becoming more of a necessity than ever before in citizens' educational, professional and personal lives played a key factor in the creation of MIHI, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Governor Whitmer has three major proposals that will support community infrastructure investments to support business growth and regional planning and projects that will complement the MI New Economy plan, and increase the return on investment of Michigan's American Rescue Plan dollars overall.
Governor Whitmer has proposed different programs that will lead to more attainable and affordable housing units, and one proposal that will lead to reduced monthly housing costs through smaller energy bills.
