The County’s Role in Affordable Housing
How Should Leelanau County Address the Lack of Affordable Housing?
It’s a question that has lingered for... decades. Since at least the 1980s, when the value of land in the county surpassed the capacity of fruit growers and row-crop farmers to pay for it with crop revenue, demand to live in Leelanau has outpaced the availability of homes and properties with manageable mortgages.
The pandemic compounded the problem as home prices surged seemingly overnight.
In 2017, the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners established the Housing Action Committee (HAC) to work under the oversight of the County Planning Commission. Unfortunately, the HAC floundered this past year, with three out of four meetings canceled due to a lack of quorum.
Fortunately, nonprofit organizations have continued to pick up the pace—in particular, Habitat for Humanity, Peninsula Housing, and Housing North.
Reaching Beyond the County Building
At the Organizational Meeting of the County Board in early January, I moved and voted to suspend continuation of the HAC. This was not done to ignore the challenge of affordable housing. Rather, I felt the Board needed to reflect before continuing with a committee that had struggled in the past year. I was also unsure of the level of authority the County Board held to direct the future of the HAC, a subcommittee of county planners.
Since that decision, I met with Yarrow Brown, director of Housing North, who suggested that forming a new housing body outside of county government may better fit Leelanau’s needs. She pointed to a successful model in Benzie County, where community members from varying backgrounds meet monthly to plan and support affordable housing projects. I also spoke with a Benzie County commissioner who praised that approach.
The HAC seemed to strain under the weight of government protocols and restrictions. Creating a new group—with representatives from nonprofits already building affordable housing, as well as stakeholders from banking, construction, and other relevant industries—could yield better results.
Keeping the early stages of affordable housing projects outside county government might also help them move forward more efficiently. Delicate matters such as property purchases and negotiations with building contractors often benefit from candid conversations—something that’s less likely to happen in public meetings. Additionally, documents handled by a public body are subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which could complicate sensitive early-stage discussions.
In short, the public sector—led by nonprofits—has been far more successful than county government in addressing affordable housing needs. Continuing the HAC is unlikely to change that. Forming a new body outside the confines of government could support real progress.
Promoting Township and Village Zoning for More Homes
Housing North remains under contract with Leelanau County to prepare and promote a “housing readiness” program aimed at lessening zoning restraints on affordable housing construction.
It’s important to note: County government has no authority over local zoning. Zoning decisions rest solely with Leelanau’s townships and villages.
Among the initiatives promoted by Housing North are:
Reducing minimum lot sizes
Allowing homeowners to convert part of their homes into rental apartments
Permitting the addition of tiny houses on the same lots as existing homes
These are decisions that only village councils and township boards can make. They—not the County Board—hold the keys to adjusting local zoning regulations to allow for increased housing.
Local governments will also need to weigh resident sentiment about growth. Housing North has proposed an ambitious goal for new housing units to bridge the affordability gap. But that goal must be balanced with the character and quality of life found in Leelanau’s small towns and villages.
For example, do residents of Leland or Lake Leelanau want their villages to increase by one-third in population? Do people in Suttons Bay, Northport, or Empire wish to see their villages grow to the size of small cities? While most people agree that affordable housing is needed, the question of how much growth is acceptable remains open.
The County Should Still Contribute
That said, Leelanau County should remain involved.
The County Board should have a representative on whatever new body is created to promote affordable housing. Once the current contract with Housing North concludes, a discussion should take place about the county’s ongoing relationship with that nonprofit—one that shares many of the same goals as county commissioners.
Additionally, the county’s Land Bank Authority continues to provide a mechanism for conveying foreclosed developed and vacant properties to nonprofits for use as affordable housing.
The county could also consider reducing or eliminating inspection fees on small homes to encourage their construction.
Thank you for reading,
Alan Campbell
County Commissioner, District #5
