A version of this article was originally featured in SEMCOG’s Economic Development special edition magazine: What’s Our Edge?. Let us know if you would like to request hard copies. Southeast Michigan’s success depends on the unique strengths of its communities, businesses, and educational institutions. Regional cooperation, data-driven strategies, and a skilled workforce are key to driving growth. The Gordie Howe International Bridge, access to water, and education play vital roles in shaping the region’s future. By aligning these assets, the region can achieve greater prosperity, guided by the Economic Development Council’s new strategy.
Creating and protecting quality places is a regional economic development strategy. People move to and stay in places that they love. A great place is characterized by natural features, parks, thriving main streets and downtowns, things to do, and housing.
Over and over during SEMCOG’ Economic Development Forums in the Summer of 2024, the topic of housing came up as a key element of quality places. This finding supports and enhances Southeast Michigan’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) which states that to have great places, the region needs diverse and desirable housing options for households of all sizes and income levels.
How does housing relate to economic development? First, quality housing contributes to making neighborhoods in Southeast Michigan desirable places to live. Secondly, housing is an element of talent attraction and retention. Finally, housing options can increase efficiency and productivity as a region when there are housing options near employment centers.
Locally and nationally, home construction rates have stalled. This is due to many factors including high interest rates, the rising cost of materials, and an ongoing labor shortage. What can local governments do to increase the availability of housing? It depends on the type of community, the opportunities present, and the goals of that community. In each case, it starts with leadership, vision, and at times, thinking creatively.
Hillside Townes, City of Farmington | Photo Credit: Robertson Brothers Home
Land Acquisition and Visioning (City of Farmington)
In the City of Farmington, leadership has actively been involved in creating more housing downtown over the past few years. Demolition of a former school and training center has started to make way for seven new buildings consisting of a total of 53 new townhomes.
The city’s vision includes creating a publicly accessible pedestrian promenade that cuts through the site, connecting Shiawassee Park to the Downtown District. The process was not without hiccups, requiring perseverance and patience to bring the project to fruition. Once built, this project will increase housing supply in a high-demand, high-amenity neighborhood. “We’re going to have the opportunity to bring 53 new families, customers, and residents to an area of the city where they’re going to have a ton of advantages, in terms of being able to walk to just about everything,” said Mayor Joe LaRussa in the Farmington Press.
Hillside Townes, City of Farmington | Photo Credit: Robertson Brothers Home
Planning and Zoning (City of Warren)
Housing starts with planning. In Warren, the soon-to-be adopted Warren Van Dyke Corridor Plan integrates housing into what is currently a commercial-only district, between Eight Mile Road in the south to Stephens Road in the north. The goal of this plan is to open the door to additional housing in the community, as well as contributing to the reactivation of the economy in this corridor. Thomas Bommarito, Economic Development Director for the City of Warren, referenced the Master Plan update as a starting point for developing and strengthening mixed-use nodes in the city, including this one along Van Dyke.
Warren is not alone in considering land use changes as a mechanism to increase housing supply. According to the Michigan Association of Planning’s Zoning Reform: Stories and Studies, published in 2024, the most commonly used tool that Michigan communities are using to create more housing is to allow mixed-use and multifamily in commercial districts. This zoning change not only opens the opportunity for more housing units but has the potential to add vitality to existing commercial areas. Other zoning reforms being implemented by communities include reducing minimum dwelling unit sizes or reducing residential parking requirements.
Pre-Approved Plans and Infill Housing (City of Ecorse)
It is often said that “time is money,” and this is especially true in construction. To help with the time it takes to develop a plan that is appropriate for infilling single-family lots in Ecorse, the city created and adopted pre-approved housing plans which are available on its website. These plans were reviewed by the building department in advance.
The process exists to encourage infill development as it provides a simple option for building a home on a currently vacant lot. This process is especially helpful for newer developers or individuals building their own home because it reduces uncertainty and can save both time and money during the review process. It should be noted that large home builders are often not willing to take on scattered site infill residential development projects, so this process assists smaller developers with getting into the industry and can also assist individuals with building their own home on a vacant lot. In Ecorse there are four plans that have been developed and published by the city; builders are still welcome to create their own plans and go through the normal development process.
Image credit: Ecorse Pre-Approved Housing Plan
Looking Ahead
Many communities are looking for ways to increase the supply and diversity of housing in order to meet the needs of their residents and to create stronger neighborhoods. There are many tools available to communities and they are encouraged to consider how these tools align with the community’s goals and values. These include reviewing the master plan as a starting point as well as other local plans such as economic development strategy or bike and pedestrian plan. Communities can also be creative by considering new ideas and new locations that may not have been considered before. Thinking comprehensively about the building blocks of great neighborhoods, including but not limited to quality housing, will go a long way in building great places that people love and where people stay.
SEMCOG Data and Tools to Support Community Master Plans
Community Profiles
Discover how people live, work, and travel in your community. Profile information includes population data, economic and employment data, housing data, transportation data, and land use.
Community Explorer
Provides valuable community insights including population density, total households and housing data, information on job density, and more.
Open Data Portal
The Open Data Portal contains many data sets that can be downloaded for future analysis.
Learn more
SEMCOG members can find more information about our tools at semcog.org/master-plan-data-and-tools.
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