top of page

Affordable Housing in Rural Michigan

Chris Westerlund

cwesterlu@ltu.edu
chriswesterlund.com
@ChrisW3st

CoAD Master of Architecture Student
TDG Architects
houm

Americans enjoy the rural lifestyle but are limited to the opportunities in small towns. Young people who grow up in rural towns often move away for higher education. People who stay in rural towns struggle to earn the income required to purchase a home in their town. Croswell, a rural city in Michigan, is experiencing this issue. Homeownership for individuals raised and employed in Croswell is not affordable. Government programs such as Section 515 and MSHDA are ending or full of restrictions. This has resulted in a need for affordable housing. Low square footage, free-standing dwellings are a take on the single-family home that offers an alternative to multi-family housing projects and manufactured homes. A reduction on the single-family home typology allows for lower initial cost than typical homes and more energy efficiency over time. These homes could serve as an appropriate solution to the emerging affordable rural housing problem.

Department>

Architecture

Program>

Architecture M. Arch

bottom of page