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The housing affordability crisis is a national challenge, but the most effective solutions start locally. Michigan’s proposed MI Home Program, championed by the Michigan Municipal League, offers a pragmatic and powerful blueprint that other states should consider. It’s a model rooted in collaboration, not mandates, and it deserves national attention.

The MI Home Program will position Michigan to take full advantage of similarly collaborative legislation making its way through Congress. The bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act, introduced by U. S. Senators Tim Scott of South Carolina and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, would empower local governments with an array of new resources to meet their housing needs alongside other improvements for different sectors of the housing market.

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“Local innovation and federal action working together can deliver the homes families need, and the stability communities deserve.”

— Clarence E. Anthony

Both the MI Home Program and the Road to Housing Act recognize that partnership and collaboration between every level of government is key to making lasting improvements in housing attainability.

Michigan’s need is urgent, where more than 185,000 additional affordable homes are required for its lowest-income residents alone. The MI Home Program tackles this shortage by incentivizing local governments to modernize restrictive zoning laws and providing gap funding for development. By prioritizing partnership over preemption, it respects local decision-making while encouraging pro-housing policies that unlock growth.

This approach builds lasting infrastructure for housing development. Michigan’s proposed $160 million annual investment would establish a revolving loan fund and promote employer-assisted housing, ensuring the impact extends well beyond the initial funding cycle.

The National League of Cities has long advocated for holistic housing solutions nationwide. The MI Home Program embodies this vision by linking community readiness with financial investment, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem for housing growth. For cities across the country grappling with how to build more homes faster, Michigan is showing the way. And with the ROAD to Housing Act poised to amplify these efforts with new federal resources, we have a real opportunity to turn the tide on housing affordability.

Local innovation and federal action working together can deliver the homes families need, and the stability communities deserve. Michigan’s leadership is proof that progress is possible.

Now, let’s build on it.