July 22: It Takes a Village to Make a Village: Housing Partnerships and Solutions for Northwest Michigan (with Sarah Lucas)
Monday, July 22
4:00pm – 6:00pm
Munnecke Room
$15
What to do about the high cost of housing that threatens the future of Northwest Michigan, its economy, services, schools and even its sense of place? Many young families are leaving for regions where the cost of living is lower; new recruits decline job offers here because they can’t find affordable homes for their families. Meanwhile, constructing such housing becomes ever more complex and expensive. The housing shortage results in declining school populations, limited growth opportunities for businesses, and significant change in our region’s demographics.
How are Leelanau County and the rest of Northwest Michigan impacted by housing needs, and what are those needs, exactly? How are communities responding? Learn how housing agencies, local governments, developers, and employers are working to find solutions—through zoning, investment and development, land deals, tax incentives, and partnerships.
SARAH LUCAS
Sarah Lucas was born and raised in Northwest Lower Michigan, and has been a practicing planner in the region for nearly twenty years, working at both the county and regional level. As the Community Development Director at Networks Northwest, Sarah led regional and statewide housing policy research, education/outreach, and partnership initiatives. Now, in her role at Housing North, she’s working across sectors to support developers and communities that are taking action on housing needs and solutions—by driving policy change, new development, and innovative partnerships.
Sarah serves on local and statewide boards including the Michigan Association of Planners Board of Directors, Opportunity Resource Fund, Fair Housing Center of West Michigan, and the Traverse City Housing Commission. She’s certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners, with a degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Eastern Michigan University.