You teach third grade, or you drive an ambulance, or you work the line at a restaurant in Traverse City. You earn a steady paycheck, and you still can’t find a home in the county where you work. For a lot of Northern Michigan families, that’s not a hypothetical. It’s the current housing market.
MSU Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) is stepping in with a $75,000 Community Multiplier grant for Habitat for Humanity Grand Traverse Region. The money will support Homes at Carriage View Commons, a planned 15-home neighborhood in Garfield Township.
Where the money comes from
The grant was secured through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis‘ Community Multiplier–Member Match program. It’s open to financial institution members of FHLBank Indianapolis and offers grants of up to $60,000 each. The catch: the member institution has to put up a matching commitment of at least 25%. That match is how a credit union’s own investment gets multiplied into something bigger.
Why Grand Traverse County needs it
The county is one of the fastest-growing regions in Northern Michigan. Growth is good news until it collides with a tight housing supply. The result is a competitive, expensive market that squeezes essential workers and middle-income families the hardest.
Habitat’s model is built for exactly that squeeze. Partner families don’t get a temporary roof. They buy their homes with affordable mortgages, which lets them build equity, gain long-term financial stability, and settle into a community they’re proud to call their own.
What leaders are saying
“Access to safe, affordable homeownership is foundational to the financial well-being of any community,” said MSUFCU President and CEO April Clobes. “As housing costs continue to outpace wages across Michigan, we are proud to partner with Habitat for Humanity Grand Traverse Region and FHLBank Indianapolis to turn the vision for Carriage View Commons into a reality. Investing in workforce housing isn’t simply about building homes — it’s about building long-term security for local families and strengthening the economic fabric of Grand Traverse County.”
Wendy Irvin, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Grand Traverse Region, echoed the gratitude. “We are deeply grateful to the entire team at MSUFCU for their partnership and continued support in championing affordable housing and financial stability,” she said. “The FHLBank Indianapolis grant represents a meaningful commitment to Habitat GTR’s Homes at Carriage View Commons. This award truly demonstrates MSUFCU’s leadership in advancing solutions to our regional housing challenges.”
Fifteen homes won’t fix a regional housing shortage by themselves, but for fifteen local families, they’ll be the difference between renting and owning.