The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s (LEO) Office of Rural Prosperity has awarded $852,000 to support 19 different rural community projects across Michigan’s ten Prosperity Regions through the Rural Readiness Grant Program. The grant provides rural communities with up to $50,000 to support collaborative planning and capacity initiatives. These competitive, reimbursement grants support and invest in underserved areas and populations by providing reimbursement grant funding for capacity building activities, development readiness initiatives, partnership and plan formation and cross sector collaboration.
“Michigan’s rural communities play an integral role in our economy,” said LEO Director Susan Corbin. “These funds will allow communities across Michigan to complete projects that provide vital resources to help their residents thrive.”
The 19 projects supported by the Rural Readiness Grant Program will address needs related to childcare; housing, development readiness, health and emergency preparedness; non-motorized transportation infrastructure; and general capacity-building activities for local, county and tribal governments, nonprofits, economic development organizations, community foundations, regional planning agencies and health service providers across the state.
“Rural communities need to plan for projects that will address complex challenges like housing shortages and health access, but often lack the funding or staff resources to do so,” said Sarah Lucas, director of the Office of Rural Prosperity. “The Rural Readiness Grant Program invests in underserved areas across the state to help them prepare for solutions to a wide range of needs. We’re excited to see these projects lead the way to positive change for Michigan residents.”
Planned projects include:
| Awardee & Counties Served | Project Detail | Grant Amount |
| Peck, Village of
Sanilac, Grand Traverse, Houghton, Van Buren, Lapeer, St. Clair, Eaton and Oakland |
Hire an experienced grant writer to work with communities in each of the regions of this project to develop a project and also provide training on how to successfully apply for grant funding. | $50,000 |
| Upper Peninsula Health Care Solutions, Inc.
Alger, Baraga, Chippewa, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon, Schoolcraft |
Establish a network of behavioral health care providers, hospitals, clinics, health departments, tribal health care organizations, and third-party payers to evaluate and develop a region-wide solution to behavioral and mental health care access issues for U.P. residents. | $50,000 |
| Great Lakes Recovery Centers
15 U.P. counties and Northern Lower Michigan |
Develop property site in Sault Ste. Marie for new Women’s New Hope House (WNHH), a residential treatment center. | $50,000 |
| Crystal Falls, City of
Iron |
Seeking funding for pre-development/engineering for identified city property for possible new housing development in Crystal Falls. | $20,000 |
| Manistee County Community Foundation
Manistee |
Support efforts in Manistee County to build a strong, coordinated early childhood care and education system. | $50,000 |
| Target Alpena Development Corporation
Alcona, Alpena, Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Otsego, Oscoda, Roscommon, Presque Isle |
Conduct a comprehensive housing study of housing challenges for the 11 counties with Region E of the Statewide Housing Plan. | $50,000 |
| Homestretch Nonprofit Housing Corporation
Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Kalkaska |
Increase capacity to with municipalities during predevelopment. | $50,000 |
| Kalkaska Downtown Development Authority
Kalkaska |
Hire consultant to develop multi-modal strategic plan for downtown Kalkaska. | $50,000 |
| Networks Northwest
Missaukee County |
Partnership for planning charette process, hire a certified building inspector, and a sustainable redevelopment master plan addendum and economic development strategy for sites along M-66. | $28,300 |
| Cornerstone Alliance
Berrien |
Work with a consultant to develop a comprehensive plan and toolkit to help communities address placemaking and housing development and rehabilitation. | $50,000 |
| Center for Community & Economic Development,
Michigan State University Baraga, Calhoun, Saginaw, Allegan, Cass |
Pilot model, scaled fellowship addressing economic resiliency | $50,000 |
| Beautify Pullman
Allegan |
Non-Motorized Planning and Pedestrian Safety Improvements | $40,357 |
| Four County Community Foundation
Lapeer, St. Clair, Macomb, Oakland |
Grant Writing Internship Project | $50,000 |
| Rogers City Main Street/Downtown Development Authority
Presque Isle |
Hire a marketing professional to provide promotional material for businesses, governmental bodies, and organizations. | $12,500 |
| Hancock, City of
Houghton |
Feasibility study and environmental assessment related to five specific sites that were owned by the former Finlandia University that the city of Hancock would like to redevelop. | $50,000 |
| Keweenaw County/Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Department
Keweenaw |
Develop plans for a brick-and-mortar Keweenaw County Emergency Response Center. | $50,000 |
| Shiawassee Economic Development Partnership
Shiawassee |
Development of a Housing Strategic Action Plan that will facilitate development | $50,000 |
| District Health
Department #10 Emmet, Charlevoix, Antrim, Leelanau, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Cheboygan, Presque Isle, Montmorency, Alpena, Otsego, Crawford, Oscoda, Alcona, Iosco, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Mason, Lake, Osceola, Clare, Gladwin, Arenac, Oceana, Newaygo, Mecosta, Isabell |
Share health care data to address rural barriers to healthcare, including social determinants of health. | $50,000 |
| Superior Watershed
Partnership Alger, Baraga, Marquette |
Provide education for promoting sustainable nature tourism; identify, prioritize and restore degraded natural areas; increase disaster response training for several partners/stakeholder groups. | $50,000 |
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