A stable home is the foundation for everything else.
The housing crisis in Livingston County is real and urgent. Here's why it matters, and how your support changes lives.
Families are being priced out of the place they call home
Across Livingston County, rent and home prices have climbed faster than wages. Seniors on fixed incomes, veterans, and working families increasingly can't find a home they can afford, even when they have jobs.
Over 60% of the guests we serve are employed. They don't need a handout. They need a place to live that they can afford.
Community stability
When families put down roots in a community, neighborhoods, schools, and local businesses grow stronger together.
Economic growth
Employers need workers who can afford to live nearby. Housing is workforce infrastructure.
Health & well-being
A stable home is the starting point for better health, education, and a real shot at the future.
What the housing study tells us
Findings from our local research on attainable housing in Livingston County.
The Attainable Housing Initiative
Our upcoming initiative pairs a small, nimble development team with local partners and funders to get stalled projects started, and keep good ones going.
We'll share the full plan soon. In the meantime, your support helps us lay the groundwork.
"Housing is the single most important factor in whether Livingston County thrives. Without it, we lose the workers and families who make this community what it is."
Questions we hear a lot
How many new homes does Livingston County need?
Our local housing study puts the need at roughly 16,000 new homes by 2035, across income levels — from starter homes to senior housing.
What is attainable housing, and how is it different from affordable housing programs?
Housing is attainable when the person living there pays no more than 30% of their gross income for it. We pursue it through market-driven partnerships rather than government subsidies, which is why we say "attainable" rather than "affordable."
Why does housing matter for the local economy?
About 70% of the people who work in Livingston County commute in from somewhere else, largely because they cannot find a place here they can afford. When workers can live where they work, local employers, schools and downtowns all benefit.
Who is working on the housing shortage here?
Community Catalysts serves as a catalyst — funding projects, consulting, and partnering with developers, municipalities and local organizations. Our development company, Community Catalysts Development Company, builds; the Housing Catalysts initiative coordinates the countywide effort.