News Staff Writers
News Photo by Julie Riddle
Shelly Katto points recently to a chalkboard in her Alpena Airbnb home signed by a group of nurses who found temporary housing there.
ALPENA The use of tax incentives, zoning changes, policy revisions, and the creative use of current structures still haven’t kept up with a spiking demand for housing in Northeast Michigan.
Big demand and too little supply, rising construction costs, and limited construction workers in part because of the coronavirus pandemic caused the region’s housing shortage, The News learned after weeks of research and interviews with homebuyers, sellers, and real estate and economic development officials. The shortage means people who want to move to or within Alpena often have to wait months before they can land a home.