LANSING, Mich — We got tour of a newly built home on Pattengill Avenue - 3 bedrooms, 2 baths.
Contributing to the project, day in and day out, is contractor in training Miracle Sparkman.
“We’re just about to finish this house, we’ll be finish in about two weeks,” Sparkman said.
Owned by the Ingham Count Land bank, pretty soon the home will help further the groups mission.
“We are a local unit of government, that helps with getting properties back on the tax role,” said Land Bank Executive Director Roxanne Cases. “The reason taxes are there is to help with services of the city.”
Case told us a big part of this deals with building homes, like the one on Pattengill.
“Right now, we’re building about 2 to 3 homes a year,” Case said.
A task that may get harder to do, especially since the housing code rules may soon change in the State of Michigan.
“Some agencies are looking are looking and fighting for the state to pass over the 2021 codes because they seem to be more restrictive, and make them adopt the 2024,” Case said.
If the 2021 codes are adopted, this could mean an increase in the price to build a home.
“Before COVID, we are about $150 per square foot to build our homes,” Case said. “Now we are looking at $250, $300 per square foot, and now if these new codes go into affect, who knows how much more it will go up.”
Case said this could mean less homes they’re able to build, but she’s optimistic, because of federal, state and local donors.
