Saturday, June 25, 2022
Since 1854 — News from Montcalm County and Ionia County, Michigan
A special use permit for a development of apartments just outside of Howard City will stand approved as recommended by the Reynolds Township Planning Commission.
The Planning Commission met on April 28 and voted 4-2 to recommend the township board approve a special use permit requested by business partners Ryan Pitcher of Lakeview and Jon Cole of Cedar Springs.
The Reynolds Township Planning Commission in a split vote last week approved recommending a special use permit to allow the construction of 11 quadplex buildings just outside of Howard City.
Last Thursday’s public hearing was held in a very informal manner — residents were allowed to speak as long as they wanted to without identifying themselves, multiple people spoke at the same time and often went off-topic and the Daily News at one point asked the Planning Commission to restore some sort of order so that deliberations could be overheard.
Twenty-five years ago, when buying a house for the first time, Randy Thelen and his wife Christa were determined to do things the “right way” — to find a price that worked for them, in a location that would make them happy.
The newlyweds, ready to move on from renting an apartment, began their search in West Michigan, searching for that ideal spot to call home.
When addressing the issue of affordable housing, one element of that crisis can be identified through a specific demographic of people — ALICE.
ALICE is an acronym used to identify those who are “Asset Limited Income Constrained and Employed.”
In her rounds across both Montcalm and Ionia counties, Terri Legg has conversed with more employers, legislators, community leaders and organizations than perhaps any other figurehead in the area.
In her six years as the executive director of United Way Montcalm-Ionia counties, it’s been Legg’s mission to transform the organization from what was best described as a fundraiser, to now being a convener, mobilizer and agent for community change.
Between the urban, high-density cities of Grand Rapids and Lansing, sit two rural counties that couldn’t be more different, though they may actually be closer connected than believed.
As the second-largest city in Michigan, Grand Rapids boasts a metropolitan population of more than 1 million residents, and with that comes tens of thousands of jobs, commercial and industrial projects and housing developments.
During Wednesday’s meeting of the Eureka Township Planning Commission, commissioners listened as Al Lehman of Al Lehman Construction in Oakfield Township expressed a desire to potentially purchase a vacant property with a goal to turn it into a housing development.
Sharon Carlson has been a member of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) since 1984.
During the past 37 years, she’s served in a number of positions and taken on a nearly infinite amount of leadership roles.
United Way Montcalm-Ionia Counties, in partnership with EightCap Inc. and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) has launched an online tool to help streamline the application process for renters and landlords seeking COVID Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA).
MSHDA currently has federal funds available to help tenants avoid eviction and landlords recoup owed rent. Renters making 80% of the area median income or less are eligible. For other eligibility criteria and a link to the secure online application site, visit Michigan.gov/CERA to apply. Landlords or tenants can fill out the CERA application and upload required documents.
