Homeownership is the American dream. It is the reward for working hard, making sacrifices, and building a life. It is what we promised ourselves and our children was possible if we did the right things. But across the 78th District, home prices have risen faster than wages. Families who have done everything right are trying to buy into a market where values have been inflated beyond what local incomes can realistically support. The result is a system that feels out of balance, and hardworking people are paying the price. Right here in Ionia County home prices rose 5.5 percent in a single year — while local wages have not come close to keeping pace.

I am speaking about this as a mother first. I have watched my own adult children do everything right, work hard, finish their education, start their careers, and still find themselves stretched so thin by housing costs that there is little left for anything else. When housing takes up that much of a family's income, financial freedom becomes impossible. That is not the American dream. That is survival.

Young people across this district want to stay. They want to raise families here, put down roots here, and build a future here. But for most first time buyers the down payment is the final barrier in a market already inflated beyond what local wages can support. I will advocate for expanded rural homebuyer assistance and partnerships between local employers and the state that help workers build toward ownership. Michigan has already taken important steps here. House Bills 5030 through 5032, signed into law by Governor Whitmer in January 2025, expanded MSHDA’s ability to support first-time homebuyers. I will continue building on that progress.

The forces driving up housing costs in communities like ours are not simple or singular. Shrinking inventory, rising construction costs, and outside buyers with deeper pockets have all pushed home values beyond what local wages can realistically support. When someone relocating from a larger city or an investor looking for a return can outbid a local family without blinking, that family loses. Over time those outside comparisons set a new normal for prices in our market, one that reflects someone else’s economy, not ours. Rapid unsustainable increases in home values do not just hurt buyers. History has shown us they eventually hurt everyone. A stable market that grows at a rate local wages can support is better for our community in the long run. The people who live and work here, who are rooted here, deserve exactly that.

The answer is not to wait for the market to correct itself. The answer is to build more, preserve what we have, and make sure local families have the tools to compete. That means expanding down payment assistance, incentivizing smaller housing options on existing properties, modernizing outdated zoning that makes small local development unnecessarily difficult, and investing in the rehabilitation of homes already in our communities. Michigan has already created a path forward on employer investment. The new Employer-Assisted Housing Fund, backed by $10 million in state funding and supported by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, brings together local employers, developers, and the state to invest in housing for local workers. I will fight to make sure businesses and employers across the 78th District know this fund exists and can access it.

Every time an affordable home or rental unit is lost to redevelopment or rising costs, one morefamily is left competing for what remains. That competition drives prices up for everyone. Protecting the affordable housing we already have is not just about preserving buildings. It is about keeping the market from tipping further out of reach for the families who call this district home. I support rehabilitation and maintenance efforts that keep existing housing safe, healthy, and livable, and programs that help small landlords keep rents affordable while maintaining quality conditions, preventing displacement before it happens.

For our seniors, the issue is staying in the homes they have worked their whole lives for. Many own their homes outright but cannot afford repairs, rising property taxes, or utility costs. Programs exist to help, but more than half of Michigan seniors do not even know they are available, and only one in four eligible households actually receives assistance. These are the people who built our communities, who paid into a system with the faith that it would be there when they needed it most. Their tax dollars should work for them when they need it most. As your State House Representative I will work alongside local organizations and community partners to make sure every senior in the 78th District knows what they are entitled to and can actually access it. They have earned it.

A home is where financial freedom begins. The people of the 78th District have worked for that dream, sacrificed for it, and built their lives around it. They deserve housing markets that reflect the realities of local wages, not speculative pricing that pushes stability out of reach. As your State House Representative, I am ready to advocate for every family in this district and protect the dream of equitable, affordable homeownership for all.