Discover / Feature Stories
Project Greenprint
In her 2024 State of the State address, Gov. Whitmer laid out a bold vision for establishing Michigan as a place where every resident can “make it” — a place where people dream of planting their roots. For many of us, the most essential piece of “making it” means having a safe, affordable and healthy home to rest our head and house our families.
But for too many housing is unreliable, expensive and in some cases unsafe. So what can we do?
Every house has a blueprint—a guide for transforming a bunch of materials into a home. Well we have a Greenprint—a guide for transforming our housing to better serve Michiganders.
part I
The state of MI housing
Michigan’s minimum wage, as of 2023, is $10.10/hour, but the wage needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment at fair market value is $18.55/hour. Over 60% of Michiganders make less than $20/hour, which means over half the state’s population is spending more than they can afford on housing costs.
Nearly 40% of Michigan’s residential housing units were built before 1960, which results in ongoing costs related to rehabilitation and maintenance, and higher energy costs. A recent analysis showed that utility costs add about 25% to housing costs, which negatively impact our vulnerable populations the most.
As of 2019, Michigan’s buildings accounted for almost 18% of the state’s total greenhouse gas emissions, the third highest-emitting sector after the power and transportation sectors. Most of these emissions are from using fossil fuels to heat and to cook with.
listen
“Have a Haven?” -podcast episode
Michigan is a climate haven! But those coming to our pleasant peninsulas will find an unpleasant reality: ailing and expensive homes. Our podcast miniseries on housing kicks off by laying out this conundrum.
read
The not-so scenic route: a roadtrip of MI’s housing
You may have heard that we’re in a “housing crisis” here in Michigan. Join us for a mini tour of our state, making stops from Detroit, to Petoskey, to Saginaw and more as we uncover how that crisis looks in different communities.
read
Real representation? That’s no (Saginaw) CAP
Saginaw’s history is a microcosm of the greater issues facing communities: misplaced governmental priorities, aging house stock and a sense of abandonment from industry. Saginaw CAP is bringing power to the people.
part II
The greenprint
There are over 4.5 million homes in Michigan. They cause 22% of our Michigan's greenhouse gas emissions. To truly do our part in the climate change fight, we must make all of them sustainable—and actually affordable to live in. It seems like a tall order to transform our housing stock so drastically. How do we do it?
listen
Up to code - podcast episode
In the second part of our green housing podcast miniseries, we talk solutions with Environmental Council climate expert Carlee Knott. Spoiler: With tenacity and tact, "greening" Michigan's homes is achievable.
Listen to the podcast
Funding for Affordable, Healthy Homes
$100M
to create a whole-home retrofit fund that would provide flexible dollars to address health and safety issues, electrify homes and complement existing programs for energy efficiency and home repairs;
$30M
to support and expand energy efficiency and building electrification workforce development throughout Michigan;
more $
to the Weatherization Assistance Program, saving on energy costs in the long run.
Tell your lawmaker: Affordable, healthy homes are essential for Michigan’s future
Lawmakers can act right now to ensure our 2025 State Budget includes critical funding to make home improvement more accessible to more Michiganders, while helping us reduce the 22% of total state greenhouse gas emissions that come from our residential housing.
Do you have a question about MI’s housing crisis or green homes of the future?
© 2024 Michigan Environmental Council