Last month we wrote about Michigan’s State Pattern Book, which provides straight-forward instruction on addressing a handful of the most common zoning changes and free housing plans for a duplex and fourplex apartment.

Michigan Municipal League and Michigan Economic Development Corporation recently released an encore production, The Missing Middle Mixtape: More Pattern Book Homes for 21st Century Michigan, which includes four new housing designs. 

MML writes, “By cutting down on the cost of design and streamlining review, this ever-growing collection of construction plans is giving communities the tools to create new homes right in their own neighborhoods.”

New housing plans included in Volume II are:

• Above-the-garage Accessory Dwelling Unit

• Small cottage, which could be stand alone or part of a cottage court

• Rowhouse duplex

• Up-down duplex

The new designs also utilize Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) to promote energy efficiency.  Learn more about SIPs and modular housing here.

In addition to offering free housing designs, Volume II also identifies financing tools for promoting missing middle housing, like the designs offered in the book.  It covers the ins-and-outs of several state and federal financing tools, like:

• Acquisition and construction loans from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA)

• Federal Home Loan Bank’s Affordable Housing Program (AHP)

• State of Michigan Land Bank Authority predevelopment and development loans

• Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) Missing Middle Housing program and LIHTC programs

Congratulations to MML and MEDC on their latest achievement!