New survey aims to meet housing needs in Northeast Michigan

The United States is currently suffering from a housing crisis. Michigan is feeling the effects, as a recent survey ranks the state third in the nation in rent increases and housing prices continue to rise.

A housing needs assessment survey will be conducted in northeast Michigan beginning in August. The survey covers 11 counties in the region and is being conducted by Bowen National Research, a firm specializing in real estate research. The firm has conducted nearly a hundred housing needs assessments across the country, with the average duration of the assessments ranging from four to six months.

The assessment was commissioned by Lenny Avery, economic development coordinator for Target Alpena Development Corporation. He said the study was commissioned as part of his work for Michigan’s Statewide Housing Plan, as the 11 northeastern counties are part of Partnership E.

Avery said he has met with over 60 county stakeholders to discuss housing needs and the housing plan for the region. He said the initial plan has been finalized and the research will be used to “dig deeper” and focus on specific areas of need.

“We’re targeting the entire spectrum of housing,” he said. “Senior housing, workforce housing, public housing (anything) for Michigan residents. We want the American dream to be attainable for everyone.”

Patrick Bowen is president of National Bowen Research and said this assessment comes amid the country’s housing crisis. He said since the pandemic, he has seen an increase in housing costs and the number of people turning to him for assessments.

“Companies that you wouldn’t think would think about housing (are contacting us),” he said.

Bowen said they typically look at three pillars in their surveys:

• Demographics (information about the people living in the community such as age, marital status, etc.),
• Economically (average salaries, local labour market, etc.) and
• Housing markets (rental properties, both traditional apartments and unconventional rooms in houses or mobile homes; as well as houses for sale)

In previous research in Michigan, Bowen found that homes typically cost around $300,000, which is not realistic for first-time buyers today. He said he feels the same about home prices across the country.

“At the moment it is disheartening to see how high real estate prices are in particular,” he said. “Something has to change because the country cannot take it.”

Bowen said that in addition to on-site data collection, the company will also send online surveys to stakeholders, employers and various community leaders in the Northeast. He said there has been an increase in employer interest in housing issues since the pandemic.

“Housing has become one of the factors that affect employers’ ability to retain and attract workers,” he said. “So we want to get to the bottom of that and find out what’s going on with employers… The challenge is not to create jobs, it’s ‘Where are we going to put those workers?'”

Bowen said the northeast Michigan study is expected to take four months, although initial assessment studies began in May. He estimates the first draft of the project will be ready for Target Alpena and stakeholders in December.