Building on Success: Housing Reform in Grand Rapids
This article was originally published in Michigan Planner. It is republished with permission.
In April 2024, the City of Grand Rapids unanimously passed a zoning package to help increase the growing community's housing supply.
Among the many reforms included, the package allows up to six units by right in certain key street segments; allows for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by right; eliminates owner occupancy requirements; eliminates parking requirements for ADUs; and eliminates many zoning regulations that prohibit small scale infill development.
Grand Rapids' Success Through Housing Reforms
The road to Grand Rapids' monumental success was paved by long-standing trust and support from local elected and appointed officials. This level of trust was earned after years of incremental planning-led progress in housing reform, dating as far back as 2002. Since the 2002 master plan, Grand Rapids has invested more than $7 billion in construction in the city. Efforts like eliminating single-family zoning and studies of individual neighborhood needs have now positioned Grand Rapids for bolder housing reforms with a lower risk of gentrification or displacement of neighborhoods.
"That's where a holistic approach is really important," said Grand Rapids Planning Director Kristin Turkelson. "You have to understand the housing market and rental rates of each unique neighborhood."
To get a comprehensive view of Grand Rapids' housing challenges, planners conducted housing assessments, analyzed homeownership trends, and researched the cost and number of housing units being produced. Planners then brought these insights to policy discussions with local elected and appointed decision-makers who were ready to turn the plan into action.
Grand Rapids Commissioner Jon O'Connor spoke to the necessary partnership between planners and policymakers to make positive change at 'Delivering Housing Reform Through Planning,' a recent event hosted by the Michigan Association of Planning (MAP) and MLive exploring housing challenges and reform throughout the state of Michigan. Said O'Connor, "I can have all the big ideas in the world, but it takes a planner to implement these changes."
Moderator Lucas Smolcic Larson, Grand Rapids Commissioner Jon O'Connor, State Representative Rachel Hood, and Grand Rapids Planning Director Kristin Turkelson reflect on Grand Rapids' success in housing reform and how the state can support more local planning efforts to boost housing supply.
Strong support from local decision-makers like Commissioner O'Connor, Mayor Rosalynn Bliss, and the many elected and appointed officials preceding them was essential to advancing planner-recommended reforms to eliminate barriers to housing production. Armed with on-the-ground data and best practices, planners and local officials could respond to resident concerns about proposed reforms and garner support.
Grand Rapids Tracks Housing Reform Success
Now that the package has been passed with unanimous support from the planning commission and the city council, the planning team is eager to track implementation and share results with residents and policymakers alike.
"What does success look like? I think that's a fair question. Is it solely the number of units? What kind of units? What's happening around it? What are rents doing?" Turkelson says monitoring these metrics and reporting out through a dashboard and other communication tools is the next big step.
Along with boosting the housing supply, the city anticipates the new zoning changes will also maximize benefits from other existing plans.
"We worked hard to make sure our new housing policies aligned with our transportation plans," says Turkelson. "We wanted to make sure that opportunities for higher density were connected to areas served by transit, bike lanes, and micromobility hubs. Making sure those plans communicate and support each other was very important."
Grand Rapids' success in housing reform is a testament to the power of planning to eliminate regulatory barriers to housing, and how partnership with local elected and appointed officials can guide decisions that advance positive change for all.
Read more about zoning reform success stories from communities like Grand Rapids in Zoning Reform Stories and Studies.