As the need for affordable housing grows in Grand Rapids, the city is getting much-needed help from the state.

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority is awarding tax incentives to 18 projects across the state, six of which are in Grand Rapids. Local developers are receiving over $5 million in incentives for projects creating more affordable housing units.

Dennis Sturtevant, CEO of affordable housing organization Dwelling Place, said that while the figure is impressive, the tax credits actually translate into millions more in construction.

“It will create an awful lot of new housing for a city that desperately needs it to try to serve families or seniors or people that have been homeless or disabled and make a dent in the affordable housing crisis that Grand Rapids and many other cities are facing,” Sturtevant said.

The money is going to projects that are expected to add nearly 160 affordable housing units and preserve 119 already existing units, according to a city release.

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