FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2022
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Gov. Whitmer Celebrates Building Michigan Together Plan’s Historic Investments in Housing, High-Speed Internet
Bipartisan law includes largest infrastructure investments in Michigan history, will build thousands of affordable housing units, expand high-speed internet to families and small businesses
LANSING, Mich. – Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the Building Michigan Together Plan into law, which will invest nearly $5 billion in bipartisan investments to benefit residents by growing the economy, improving infrastructure, supporting jobs, and investing in every region of the state. The plan will make significant investments in affordable, attainable housing and expand access to reliable high-speed internet, building on progress achieved since Governor Whitmer took office.
“Every Michigander deserves an affordable, attainable place to call home and fast, reliable connection to high-speed internet. Both housing and high-speed internet form the foundation for economic success, and I am so proud that the Michigan Legislature and I were able to come together to invest in both through the Building Michigan Together Plan,” said Governor Whitmer. “This plan makes bold, bipartisan investments in the kitchen-table issues that matter most to Michigan families, including clean water, smooth roads, fast internet, and beautiful parks, and will set up Michigan’s economy for decades of success. It is a testament to what is possible when we put Michiganders first.”
“As a former computer engineer and software developer, I know how important access to high-speed internet can be for our communities,” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “By expanding access to affordable, accessible high-speed internet, we can grow our economy, better educate our kids, and improve healthcare outcomes. The Building Michigan Together Plan is a historic step forward that will fund the Michigan High Speed Internet Office we established last year and help us connect tens of thousands of families and small businesses in communities across Michigan. Governor Whitmer and I will continue working hard to connect our communities and make a difference for Michiganders.”
Building Michigan Together Plan High-Speed Internet Investments
The Building Michigan Together Plan will help bridge the digital divide with a $250 million investment to connect thousands more households and small businesses to reliable high-speed internet, ensuring more Michiganders and small businesses can access critical services, go to work, and participate in the global economy.
Governor Whitmer’s High-Speed Internet Investments
Since Governor Whitmer took office, Michigan has expanded high-speed internet to more than 18,000 homes and businesses, generating between $28.1 and $35.5 million in annual economic benefits. She set a statewide goal to provide 100% access to high-speed internet over the next five years, created the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office and the Connecting Michigan Task Force to coordinate the state’s high-speed internet work and align the work with economic development opportunities, and signed the Broadband Expansion Act of Michigan to codify the Connecting Michigan Communities Grant Program, a grant program to fill internet access gaps in underserved communities.
View the Whitmer-Gilchrist administration’s high-speed internet accomplishments.
Building Michigan Together Plan Housing Investments
The Building Michigan Together Plan will fund the construction of thousands of affordable, attainable housing units to give thousands of working families a stable foundation to pursue their potential. It will also help over 100,000 families stay in their homes with mortgage and rental assistance and finance energy-efficient home repairs, lowering costs for Michiganders.
Governor Whitmer’s Housing Investments
Since taking office, the Whitmer-Gilchrist administration has made several investments to help families find a place to call home. The administration helped thousands of families buy homes with the Down Payment Assistance Program and MI Home Loan Mortgage Program, provided services through the Housing Education Program to encourage homeownership and assist homeowners with the transition to new housing, and supported families with the Step Forward Michigan Homeowners Assistance Fund, a mortgage foreclosure prevention program to help families stay in their homes.
She also proposed funding for home repair and plumbing improvements for low-income households and encouraged housing developers to meet higher levels of sustainability commitments and energy efficiency by shifting construction of new units near amenities essential to healthy living like parks, grocery stores, and more.
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