Annika Place Grand Opening
https://www.michigan.gov/mshda
[TRANSCRIPT] This is the ribbon cutting for Annika place. It's a 9% tax credit deal that MSHDA funded. We're certainly excited to see it actually here. People are already living here. It's just great.
These 53 units are comprised of 29 one-bedroom units and 24 two-bedroom units. And that's serving folks who make between 30% area median income and 80% area median income. There are eight units that are targeted for those who have faced the challenge of homelessness and the Traverse City Housing Commission that has provided project based rental assistance for those individuals. We're now having housing that will also help Coast Guards; people who are serving us here for their limited stints, although I hear a lot of them like to come back, to also about housing here, because there is that gap in housing all across the board for anybody that's lower to middle income.
Traverse City itself is, as everyone knows, is just such a desirable community to be in with all the the water here and the community and all of the amenities. And really the neighborhood is close to so much. It's schools, churches, employers, restaurants, stores, medical clinics, professional offices, and so much more. So we couldn't be happier for this location.
Well, without MSHDA, we could not have Annika Place. They are our primary partner. They provide the housing tax credits. They make sure they have the right developer at the right site with the right product in the zip code that desperately needs affordable housing.
We want to build housing wherever we can in the state, and we want to see if we can address the need for workforce housing in some of the most acute areas. Traverse City has opportunity for a lot of growth, so any housing that they can get for the workforce is going to help it grow even faster. And when we see a deal like this come forward, we know we are returning some people to be in the workforce, you know, within biking or walking distance in many cases to jobs.
The day I walked in I went, “This is impressive.” And I am so grateful to set up on that rooftop patio in the morning and read and drink coffee and listen to the birds. And I'm looking forward to many years here and I want to thank you so much.