HOLLAND, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – A new Leadership Council has been formed to collectively focus on workforce housing solutions.
The Leadership Council, composed of the area’s top community and business development organizations will work to ensure housing is available for all area workers. The Housing Next Leadership Council was formed due to the extensive housing research effort lead by the United Way of Ottawa and Allegan Counties – Ottawa Housing Next.
Mike Goorhouse, President of the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area and Holly Johnson, President of the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation will serve as co-chairs of the newly formed Housing Next Leadership Council. The Council also will include representatives from the West Coast Chamber, Chamber of Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Ferrysburg, United Way of Ottawa and Allegan Counties, Ottawa County, Lakeshore Advantage and Community SPOKE.
The Leadership Council’s first order of business will be to hire a director fully focused on workforce housing solutions. This individual will be the champion for workforce housing solutions in our community. The position description for any interested applicants can be on the United Way website: https://www.ottawaunitedway.org/employment.The Council plans to have its new director in place by the end of 2017.
Housing Next has identified four strategies to help our community better access these market-driven solutions:
- Matching private and nonprofit developers’ interests with local housing needs.
- Working with local units of government to collectively clarify their vision for the types of affordable housing developments they desire for their communities and establishing the regulatory environment that will allow those developments to happen.
- Assisting developers in accessing public and philanthropic resources to fill financial gaps that might otherwise prevent projects from moving forward.
- Connecting new developments with local nonprofit partners to ensure critical services and supports are available for future residents. This strategy will be accomplished primarily through increased grant funding from the Housing Initiative Fund at United Way.
In addition to Johnson and Goorhouse, other members of the newly formed Leadership Council include:
Patrick Cisler, Executive Director of Community SPOKE
Jane Clark, President of the Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce
Joy Gaasch, President of the Chamber of Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Ferrysburg
Patrick Moran, President of United Way of Ottawa and Allegan Counties
Jennifer Owens, President of Lakeshore Advantage
Al Vanderberg, Ottawa County Administrator
Lyn Raymond, Director of the Lakeshore Housing Alliance will serve as liaison from the Leadership Council to the broader Advisory Panel.
