LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson sat down with FOX 47 News Tuesday to lay out her vision for tackling the state's housing crisis and what she'd do about it on day one as governor.
- Benson says it can cost up to $90,000 to build a home in Michigan before construction due duplicative regulations and inspections.
- The gubernatorial candidate's plan includes tax credits for first and second-time home buyers as well as those relocating for work.
- Benson also proposed a 100-day pause on private equity firms purchasing homes in Michigan.
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Benson, one of four democratic gubernatorial candidates, has been crisscrossing Michigan in recent months and says housing affordability is the number one issue she hears about at every stop, from farmers in rural communities to nurses and teachers in urban centers.
"Everyone is struggling to make ends meet as the cost of everything escalates," Benson said. "The job of the next governor is going to be to drive down those costs while increasing access to well-paying jobs."
Benson housing plan, which she unveiled in Grand Rapids last week, targets what she calls the root of the problem: a broken building process that price-gouges developers before construction ever begins.
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"It can cost up to $90,000 to build a home in Michigan before you can put a brick in the ground," Benson said, pointing to layers of certifications, inspections, and regulatory requirements as the driving forces behind skyrocketing housing costs.
Benson aims to strip away redundant regulations to make it cheaper and faster to build, driving up supply and, in turn, driving down prices for buyers and renters alike.
But the plan goes beyond just building more homes.
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Benson is also proposing tax credits and financial assistance for first and second-time home buyers, as well as residents who want to move to a new community for work such as teachers, nurses, farmers, and physicians.
Benson says she wants to put state residents before out-of-state landlords that she says are neglecting properties while jacking up rents.
"This woman in Detroit the other day shared with me a story where she was actually writing the check to her landlord when the ceiling in her kitchen fell in because of the neglect under his ownership," Benson said. "That type of thing is just unacceptable in our state."
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A notable piece of the proposal is a temporary, 100-day ban on private equity firms buying homes in order to give Michigan residents the first shot at purchasing at affordable prices before outside investors can enter the market.
"That's really just about creating fairness," Benson said. "So that our residents, homeowners in Michigan, have the first opportunity to pay affordable pricing for homes."
When asked how the plan would be funded, Benson said she wouldn't be raising taxes. Instead Benson pointed to wasteful government spending as the source of new investment dollars.
Benson held up her own tenure as Secretary of State as proof the approach works, saying she transformed the once-notoriously slow branch offices by cutting inefficiencies and moving services online.
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"It turns out when you go in and actually just take a broken process, use data, best practices, work in collaboration with folks in local communities on the ground, you can do a lot of things quite quickly," Benson said.
Benson is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor ahead of Michigan's August 4 primary. The general election is November 3, 2026.
Notable opponents include Republican John James and independent candidate and former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan in what current polling shows is a tight, three-way race.
Other Democratic candidates include biochemist Kevin Hogan, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson and Battle Creek native and former Cape Coral, Florida mayor Marni Sawicki.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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