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Construction has begun on two Battle Creek homes for lower-income buyers

For sale and sold signs are seen in storage at a real estate office on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Portland, Ore.
Jenny Kane
/
AP
For sale and sold signs are seen in storage at a real estate office on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

The Calhoun County Land Bank Authority has broken ground on two single-family homes that will be available for purchase by buyers earning at or under 60% of the median area income.

The Calhoun County Land Bank Authority announced this week it’s broken ground on two single-family homes in Battle Creek. It’s the first new construction project for the Land Bank, which has mostly focused on bringing vacant homes back to the market.

Each of the two-bedroom homes is available for buyers earning 60 percent of the area median income — that's about $35,000 a year — or less, according to the most recent US Census Data, which gave the area median income as $57,514 in 2023. The Land Bank said the project helps meet its goal to bring value back to vacant land and strengthen the community through equitable home ownership opportunities.

Land Bank directors, Calhoun County leaders and residents gathered to watch the groundbreaking on Greenwood Avenue. In a statement, the Land Bank authority said the homes will be energy-efficient and are expected to be completed later in the year.

Anna Spidel is a news reporter for WMUK covering general news and housing. Anna hails from Dexter, Michigan and received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Michigan State University in 2022. She started her public radio career with member station Michigan Public as an assistant producer on Stateside, and later joined KBIA News in Columbia, Missouri as a health reporter. During her time with KBIA, Anna also taught at the University of Missouri School of Journalism as an adjunct instructor and contributed to Midwest regional health reporting collaborative Side Effects Public Media.
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