In its latest grant cycle, The Leelanau Township Community Foundation (LTCF) board approved a $30,000 grant to Housing North to help fund a new Housing Ready Program Director position for Leelanau County.

The goal is for this position to help “coordinate all things housing” and to be the boots on the ground in each of the villages and townships to “help move the needle on housing in Leelanau County,” says Yarrow Brown, executive director of Housing North, which supports  communities, developers, employers, and other stakeholders as they work to create housing in Northwest Michigan.

“It is our hope we will be able to both bring more housing to the community but also help Leelanau County be more ‘housing ready’ and prepared for development. This can look like many things and will depend on the goals of each community,” she says.

The Leelanau Ticker has reported on the desperate hunt for affordable housing in the county, and how the critical shortage of seasonal workforce housing is taking a toll on residents and businesses. Brown has shared some possible solutions.

LTCF has announced its $30K grant to Housing North in support of attainable housing in Leelanau Township, specifically. However, LCTF Executive Director Joan Moore notes that the Housing Ready Program Director position will serve all of Leelanau County.

Brown tells the Leelanau Ticker, “The goal will be for a three-year position to hopefully start in early 2022. We are just now starting to fundraise for the position with the help of the Leelanau Township Community Foundation grant.”

The idea is to have 50 percent funded with private grants/donations and 50 percent funded by the units of government. “We are 90 percent of the way to funding a position in Manistee County and are hiring for a similar position in Emmet County.” Housing North just closed the application period for the Emmet County position and will be interviewing this week.

Moore shares that the LTCF’s next grant cycle is in November — with all grant applications due by November 1, 2021. Information about applying for a grant from the Leelanau Township Community Foundation is available on the foundation’s website.