‘Attainably priced’ modular home available in Ishpeming funded by MSHDA program

ISHPEMING, Mich. (WLUC) - Affordable housing is becoming even harder to find, particularly in Marquette County. One entity is pushing for progress, one house at a time.

The house at 613 West Division Street in Ishpeming is available for sale as part of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority’s (MSHDA) Modular Housing Pilot Program. The Marquette County Land Bank Authority built the home, and the MSHDA paid for it.

“The goal of the program is really to provide more workforce housing,” explained Land Bank Authority director Anne Giroux. “This is intended to be an attainably priced home, so there are certain income guidelines that people need to fall within.”

Giroux says the lack of attainably priced housing is a big problem in Marquette County. Because the Land Bank already owned this property, she says the entity knew it could create a new housing opportunity for those looking for a place to live.

“People are having trouble finding housing at all levels, so any program that’s out there that we can participate in to try to create that housing stock, we’re going to try to do that,” said Giroux.

The three-bedroom house features a covered porch, a full basement, and new light fixtures and appliances, including a washer and dryer.

Once the house sells, the Land Bank Authority will repay the MSHDA. Then, the Land Bank will get to work on the next modular home.

“We’ve committed as a Lank Bank Authority to build three more like this on other properties that we own,” Giroux said. “Really the whole point is to keep this program going and to keep recycling.”

Contact your real estate agent if you are interested in seeing if you qualify to own the new modular home in Ishpeming.

While the MSHDA program that paid for the house was a pilot program for modular homes, it is now established as a permanent program with $2 million this fiscal year. For more information on the program, click here.

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