Written by Tanya Terry, with featured photo by Tanya Terry
Featured photo: Many local residents and community leaders shared the obstacles they are encountering with representatives from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently.
A roundtable discussion was recently held at the Gloria Coles Flint Public Library, featuring representatives from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, along with community organizations and leaders.
The discussion was organized largely by Joel Arnold, who serves as policy director at Housing Michigan, a statewide advocacy organization focused on making it easier to build all different kinds of housing across Michigan.
“I thought it was really important because housing is, for most households, their number one expense,” said Arnold. “If you think about what your biggest bill every month, it’s almost always your mortgage or your rent. And so, when we’re talking about, how do we make that more affordable-can the federal government help make that more affordable?”
Arnold pointed out that HUD oversees Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and the Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME).
For the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the City of Flint is set to receive a total of $4,345,252.66 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
“And those programs go to support any institutions like the Neighborhood Engagement Hub or Habitat for Humanity, all sorts of groups that do a lot of work to try and serve our neighbors,” Arnold continued.
Dom Restuccia, U.S. Department of Agriculture, explained federal programs to local residents recently. Photo by Tanya Terry.Opportunity Zones were also highlighted as important tools to attract investment in housing and employment in designated neighborhoods, with tax incentives on capital gains for investors holding assets for ten years. It was noted that a new round of Opportunity Zones 2.0 is set to begin January 1, 2027. It was suggested that anyone who believes they may own property in an opportunity zone contact the governor’s office.
The discussion also covered zoning and land use barriers that make it illegal to build diverse housing types and small businesses in many parts of Flint. Participants emphasized the need to remove regulatory obstacles that prevent construction of affordable housing options like duplexes and small apartments.
HUD’s new Pro Housing Grant program was mentioned as offering $50 million to communities seeking to remove housing obstacles.
Additionally, adaptive reuse of existing buildings was discussed as a potential solution, with examples like the Capitol Theatre.
Modular housing construction was presented as an innovation that could increase housing stock and affordability, with an invitation attend the Innovative Housing Showcase at the National Mall in late September.
Ronnie Kurtz, assistant secretary for community planning and development at HUD, stated that the key takeaway was that housing affordability is a crisis requiring local community-level solutions rather than one national solution. He emphasized HUD’s role in providing best practices and facilitating efficiency in building processes.
Duey Stroebel, HUD’s regional administrator for Region Five (Great Lakes States), noted the critical importance of engaging communities nationwide on housing affordability issues and mentioned ongoing roundtables focused on opportunity zones and work initiatives. He also told the Courier that HUD is looking at systemic pressure that leads to problems like homelessness across the nation.
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