Jonathan Simpson is the Executive Director of the HomeStretch Non-Profit Housing Corporation. Based in Traverse City, HomeStretch serves five counties in northwest Michigan--including Benzie County.
HomeStretch was formed in 1986 with seed money from Fannie Mae and Rotary. It was specifically organized to provide decent, affordable housing for persons of low and moderate income. Thus far it has developed 138 housing units, with an additional 36 units in the pipeline.
Among the HomeStretch projects is the housing development at the site of the old "Question Mark Building" in Honor. Jon took us through the many steps that are involved in such a project, including not only financing, but also planning and zoning--which in the case of Honor took two years. Build time is normally 12 months.
With home costs rising faster than home incomes, HomeStretch is providing an invaluable service in Benzie County and the other regions it serves. Jon's PowerPoint presentation is available as a download here.