TRAVERSE CITY -- It's not easy to find affordable housing when people don't know where to look.
How many people, for instance, might have missed out on an available apartment because they didn't know it was open? And how many homeowners could have staved off foreclosure had they known a program existed to help them?
Those who work to improve the housing situation for the region's lower- to mid-income residents say a centralized Internet database that went live last week could be the answer to so many of those questions.
NWMHousingSearch.org spawned from the Grand Traverse-area Housing Task Force as a way for those in search of an affordable place to live to locate properties, estimate expenses and identify local programs that meet their needs.
"There's not a lot of public awareness out there," said Sarah Lucas, a regional planner with the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments who helped launch the site. "It's a really important step."
The site is intended for people in the five-county area, although rental properties are listed in farther-flung places such as Kaleva, Cadillac, Harbor Springs and Petoskey.
In fact, the number of Traverse City rentals is far fewer than those in outlying areas, a fact Lucas said should improve in time as more local landlords discover the site. It's free for them to list available properties.
The site is easy to navigate, with separate links for renters and prospective buyers. Calculators can project how much a person can afford to pay, as well as how much it should cost to commute based on current conditions.
Also listed are contact information and links for various agencies' services, including budget counseling, home repairs and emergency assistance.
"People ask for referrals, and it's just difficult," said Virginia Coulter, director of community housing programs with the Traverse City Housing Commission.
"Different agencies have kept their own list of landlords, for instance, and it's a lot of work keeping track," she said. "I think that will really alleviate that frustration."
Such a database ultimately could save residents and agencies time, because both groups wouldn't have to search multiple places to track down necessary information, said Cathy Sanders, who coordinates the Foreclosure Rebound program through the Benzie Housing Council.
The program is linked on the new site.
"We get calls all the time because nobody has a compiled list," Sanders said. "It looks easy to use."
For more information
Search for available rental properties and affordable homes, calculate estimated living and transportation expenses and learn about various agencies' programs and services at www.nwmhousingsearch.org.
