Some changes made to state law in 2023 intended to spur the development of new housing are starting to make a difference.
Under the amendment made by lawmakers, some housing developments and related activities are now eligible to receive Brownfield Redevelopment dollars. Speaking to colleagues Thursday, Berrien County Commissioner Julie Wuerfel said the move was discussed at the last county Brownfield meeting.
“The number of housing, since they opened Brownfield up housing projects, the number of housing projects that are starting to come in,” Wuerfel said. “It’s exciting to see that we’re going to have some of that going on here in the county and throughout the county. There’s a lot of different municipalities that have them going on.”
Berrien County Administrator Brian Dissette said there’s new interest in housing developments in Berrien County, although it’s too early to speak about details.
“If the tentative plans actually come together, you’re talking about just a massive addition of new housing as well as overall tax base,” Dissette said. “Really exciting. That change to the law appears to be a really good tool to get new housing started.”
Under the law signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Brownfield redevelopment authorities can now use tax increment financing to reimburse developers with tax revenues for housing activities and related infrastructure. The law amended another 1996 law establishing the ability of counties to create Brownfield redevelopment authorities to fix up “tax reverted, blighted, or functionally obsolete property.”
Commissioners see the change as potentially leading to a slew of developments in Berrien County. We’ll stay tuned for more information in the coming months.
