Results Are in for Leelanau Housing Survey

The data is in for the Leelanau Housing Collaborative’s countywide housing survey. That initiative, which the collaborative launched in July, seeks to “help local leaders understand what the community supports when it comes to attainable, year-round housing.”

Here are some of the key by-the-numbers takeaways:

>1,689 people responded to the survey, representing all 11 townships in Leelanau County.

>81 percent of respondents named the “lack of housing local workers can afford” among the biggest issues at play with Leelanau County’s housing market. 77 percent said they were concerned that businesses are unable to find staff because workers can't find housing.

>43 percent said housing costs had led them or someone they know personally to leave Leelanau County or opt out of moving here.

>78.6 percent said said they’d support zoning that allows “more housing in appropriate areas” of the county.

>Asked what types of housing they’d accept in Leelanau County, 76 percent of survey takers expressed a desire for single-family homes on smaller lots, 70 percent said they would welcome duplexes, 62 percent said they’d accept townhomes, 59 percent said they would support ADUs (accessory dwelling units), and 58 percent said they were open to small apartment buildings.

>Less widely-approved housing types included triplex or quadplex (only 48 percent said they’d be open to seeing more of these types of housing in the county), manufactured or modular homes (33 percent said they would be amenable), and larger apartment complexes (only 17 percent expressed support).

>56 percent of respondents want to see their home township take a leading role in the housing conversation. 53 percent said the same about the county government. “Counting a supporting role, 85 percent want their township involved and 85 percent want the county involved,” the survey report says.

With the survey now completed, next steps include sharing the results with participants and presenting the report and its findings to township and village boards.

The full survey report can be found here.