Market Van Buren has secured a $50,000 grant from the state to conduct a housing study in Van Buren County. Group Director Zach Morris tells us he’s heard from business owners across the county the shortage of housing is affecting their ability to hire.
“Business leaders have stated that the biggest challenge they have with attracting workers to some of our rural communities is that when they are driving from up to 30 minutes away, the first time they get a comparable job offer back closer to where they live, they’re accepting it because they then don’t have to drive 30 minutes,” Morris said.
Morris says housing of all kinds is needed, whether it’s affordable apartments or houses for families. He’s spoken with developers to ask that they construct housing in the county, and they want empirical data there’s a demand.
That’s why the study is being done. Market Van Buren is teaming up with Van Buren County for it.
“What we’ll do is about a $100,00 expense to get the study done. So we went to the county, and Van Buren County helped us with the other $50,000.”
Morris says the housing shortage is partly the result of Baby Boomers living longer than previous generations. While that’s not a bad thing, it does mean housing for younger generations is scarce.
This is the first such study done in the county, and it should be finished by the end of summer.
