The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) recently awarded a total of $1.4 million in Neighborhood Enhancement Program (NEP) grants, with the 37 grants going to local governments and nonprofit groups across Michigan to launch improvement projects directly tied to enhancing and stabilizing communities.

The Village of Pinckney is one of the grantees from the 2019 NEP funding rounds three and four. The Village will use the $40,000 to award mini grants to 20 owner-occupied single-family homes in the Portage Dells neighborhood, with the improvements primarily for accessibility, such as porches, handrails, or ramps.

NEP grants require that the projects and activities align with one or more of three core components, including: housing enhancements; neighborhood beautification; and/or neighborhood public amenity enhancements. Funded projects should be completed by the end of the year and make a noticeable difference within the community. The goal of the funding is to help – and eventually showcase – model Michigan neighborhoods where residents are engaged and facilitating change.

Gary Heidel, Acting Executive Director of MSHDA, says the projects selected for grants are “highly visible, housing-oriented opportunities that will improve the quality of life for the people living in these communities.”