New Housing Website Launched

 NWMHousingSearch.org, a new, online, housing resource, will help both individuals and agencies find the information they need to gain access to affordable housing and housing programs.

The website, launched in April, is designed to help individuals and agencies in Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau counties find help with housing and homes they can afford. NWMHousingSearch.org uses both a rental housing locator and the Traverse Area Association of Realtors search system to allow users to search for homes by price, location, size, accessibility, and other features. Another component of the site, developed exclusively for NWMHousingSearch.org, is a housing program referral system, which directs users to programs they may qualify for based on need, income, age, disability, and other information. Program search results provide agency contact information and program and application basics, to put users in touch with the appropriate agency and help prepare them for the application process.

Also featured on the site are affordability calculators for both rental and homeownership, to help users determine what they can afford on a home; a commute cost calculator to estimate transportation costs; news and event features; and links to basic information on the homebuying process, renting, and foreclosure. The website was developed for Community Housing Choices, a program administered by the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments (NWMCOG), in partnership with the Grand Traverse Region Housing Task Force. Please visit the site at www.nwmhousingsearch.org. If you have questions, please contact NWMCOG at 231-929-5000 or via email at sarahlucas@nwm.cog.mi.us.