Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad is adding his voice to the call for more housing development around Southwest Michigan.
Speaking at this week’s meeting of the Benton Harbor City Commission, Muhammad said the housing shortage was a major topic of discussion at the United States Conference of Mayors last month.
“Mayors are warned that the deficit will increase an additional 2,066,781 units over the next five years,” Muhammad said.
Muhammad said we’ve seen in Benton Harbor the problems caused by a lack of affordable housing.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors says, nationally, the median monthly rental price has increased by 18% and the median purchase price for housing has increased by 21% over the last three years. It adds nearly one in seven Americans report they’re concerned by rising housing costs. Muhammad said that’s why help is needed more than ever.
“Mayors value the many existing federal housing programs. Mayors very strongly support expanding existing programs such as the low income housing credit, housing vouchers, CDBG, the home program, the existing federal needs programs…and cities need flexibility.”
Muhammad said it’s all the more critical for cities like Benton Harbor to be good stewards of federal and state funding to address housing. He noted in Benton Harbor, housing programs using Community Development Block Grants, for example, have been the source of no scandals or investigations. He’d like to keep it that way.
Muhammad spoke after commissioners accepted a $440,000 grant to help low-income residents repair their homes.
