TRAVERSE CITY — Local teachers and school support staff may benefit from a plan to build 144 new affordable housing units in Blair Township, thanks in part to a $5 million appropriation in the state’s 2025 budget.
Affordable housing was one of several legislative initiatives state Rep. Betsy Coffia, D-Traverse City, highlighted during her presentation to the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners Wednesday.
Coffia represents the 103rd Michigan House district, which includes Leelanau County, northern Grand Traverse County and portions of northern Benzie County.
Elected in 2022, she is running for re-election in the Nov. 5 general election against the winner of the Republican primary on Aug. 6.
The proposed Blair Township housing project, if completed, would be open to teachers, principals and school support staff earning from $28,000 to $100,000 a year from Traverse City Area Public Schools, Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools, Northwest Educational Services and Interlochen Arts Academy.
New affordable housing options for educators will help area schools “better attract and retain workers at all levels in our schools,” Coffia said. “The total budget for project is $23 million, so this is a good bite out of that in state dollars.”
In a show of bipartisanship, Coffia worked with state Sen. John Damoose, R-Harbor Springs, and state Rep. John Roth, R-Interlochen, to insert the appropriation in the state’s budget for 2025, which begins Oct. 1.
The Legislature passed the $82.5 billion budget on June 27 following a marathon 19-hour session in the state Capitol.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to sign it in the coming weeks, Lansing officials said.
In other housing-related actions, the 2025 state budget also includes $100 million for local-level housing programs, plus another $50 million in ongoing funding for a permanent housing fund created in 2023.
The budget also earmarks $2.5 million in grants for nonprofit organizations helping to reduce veteran homelessness.
OTHER KEY INITIATIVES
During her presentation to the county board, Coffia highlighted several other provisions in the new state budget, including:
– $65 million to fund a 15-percent rate increase for child care and bonuses for childcare workers.
– $9.2 million for a nursing school student loan repayment program.
– $8.1 million to increase wages for private duty nursing staff to help address the nursing shortage.
– A $5 per-day rate increase for the County Jail Reimbursement Program, which helps counties pay for housing certain offenders.
– $1 million for the Boardman River FishPass to replace the deteriorating Union Street Dam.
– $3.2 million to expand the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly to new areas in the region.
The 2025 budget also earmarks $161.5 million to establish new Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) sites across the state to serve as many as 35,000 additional patients.
“We are encouraging (mental health organizations) in our region to look at becoming a CCBHC to access state and federal funding and expand critically needed behavioral health access to northern Michigan,” Coffia said.
CHILD MARRIAGE BAN
Beyond budgetary matters, Coffia noted that three of the seven bills she sponsored in Lansing have been signed into law.
One of those bills bans child marriage in Michigan by raising the minimum age of consent for marriage to 18. The new law also modifies various parts of the Michigan penal code to delete any reference to a spouse under age 16.
The two other bills expand domestic violence resources to indigenous tribes in Michigan, and allow teenagers ages 16-17 to pre-register to vote.
“Studies show that teens who are allowed to pre-register to vote are more likely to actually vote once they become adults,” Coffia said. “Encouraging participation in democracy is something we should all support.”
PENDING LEGISLATIONCoffia said she has sponsored and/or co-sponsored other bills that are currently pending in the Legislature.
• Bipartisan House Bill 4313 would allow small business summer resorts, such as Neahtawanta Inn on Old Mission Peninsula, to convert to nonprofit organizations as a means of modernizing their operations and staying in business.
• House Bill 5047 would create a new Office of the State Guardian to help ensure that seniors and vulnerable adults are well cared for and protected from exploitation.
• House Bill 4618 would remove current barriers to allowing certain regional airports, such as the Cherry Capital Airport, to provide enhanced medical benefits for its employees. This bill is designed to help smaller airports attract and retain employees.
• House Bill 5030 would help the Michigan State Housing Development Authority reduce debt management costs, potentially freeing up millions of dollars for affordable housing investments.
To become law, these House bills would need to be approved in various state Senate committees, and then by the full Senate, before going to the governor’s desk for final approval.
If that process is not completed by Dec. 31, the bills would need to be re-introduced for consideration.