Kildee Introduces New Bipartisan Bill to Expand Affordable Housing, Invest in Michigan Communities

FLINT-Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-08), member of the House Ways and Means Committee, today introduced new bipartisan legislation to build more affordable housing and revitalize mid-Michigan's downtown areas.

The Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act would help build more affordable housing by creating a new federal tax credit for converting vacant and obsolete office and commercial buildings for residential use. The credit would be distributed through state housing finance agencies, like the Michigan State Housing Agency (MSHDA), to conversion projects that will create more affordable housing, drive economic revitalization and support Michigan small businesses.

"My new bipartisan bill, supported by Republicans and Democrats, will help breathe new life into Michigan's older, industrial communities by repurposing vacant and obsolete buildings into affordable housing for Michiganders," said Congressman Kildee. "This will help lower housing costs, create good jobs and grow the local economy in cities and towns across Michigan."

Michigan has a lack of affordable housing and is 141,000 housing units short of demand, according to MSHDA. Congressman Kildee's bill to repurpose vacant and underutilized commercial buildings for housing would help to build more affordable housing and drive investment in Michigan communities.

Congressman Kildee introduced the bill alongside U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Gary Peters (D-MI).

"The pandemic reshaped how people work and how they do business. This has left both large and small towns with an unprecedented number of empty buildings," said Senator Stabenow. "Converting these unused buildings into housing is a win-win - providing people with affordable places to live while helping our communities turn vacancy into vibrancy."

"Converting vacant or unused spaces is an effective, commonsense way to create jobs, bolster cities and neighborhoods, and support local economic development," said Senator Peters. "This bill also provides the opportunity to help address the severe affordable housing shortage, an issue I hear about repeatedly from folks across our state. I'm proud to again lead this effort with Senator Stabenow and Congressman Kildee and will continue working to see it advance in the Senate."

"Real estate needs have changed in the aftermath of the pandemic. Hybrid and remote work arrangements have reduced overall demand for office space, hurting small businesses and restaurants that depend on vibrant city centers. The smart, market-based incentives for converting older commercial properties to residential use in the bipartisan Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Street Act will spur the development of affordable housing, save energy, and improve the health of communities and local tax bases," said Jeffrey D. DeBoer, President and CEO of The Real Estate Roundtable.

"In many communities, especially after the rise of remote work, we see a need for more adaptive reuses of older office and commercial buildings into places that can provide quality housing for all," said Glenn Wilson, President and CEO of Communities First, Inc. "With this innovative approach to funding, the Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act would make these conversions much more feasible, enlivening our communities and adding desperately needed affordable housing. We thank Congressman Kildee and the bipartisan sponsors for moving this legislation forward."

"This legislation will spur the conversion of vacant spaces that can stimulate local economies and begin to address the housing crisis in communities across the U.S.," said Marc Selvitelli, CAE, president and CEO of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. "This important bill allows Congress to begin rectifying many of the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that are still affecting the lives of Americans and impacting local tax revenues."

Congressman Kildee has long-supported efforts to build more affordable housing and invest in Michigan cities and towns. In 2023, Kildee introducedthe Revitalizing Downtowns Act, to invest in Michigan's changing downtowns following the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2024, Kildee also announcednew federal funding for the Flint, Saginaw, and Bay City Housing Commissions to help modernize affordable housing in mid-Michigan.

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