MARQUETTE — Housing Now and the Central U.P. Regional Housing Partnership will host

the 2026 Central U.P. Regional Housing Solutions Summit on Tuesday, May 6, at the

Northern Center at Northern Michigan University in Marquette. The summit is focused on

solutions — practical strategies to expand housing supply and affordability across the region —

not relitigating the problem.

The event is open to anyone with a stake in the region’s housing future: local officials,

developers, lenders, employers, nonprofit and community organizations, and residents who

want to understand the issue and help move it forward. Registration is open

at housingnow906.org/housing-solutions-summit. Attendance is $35 per person and

includes all meals and materials. Space is limited.

What to Expect

The full-day agenda includes expert presentations, practitioner panels, and hands-on breakout

sessions designed to give attendees practical knowledge they can apply in their own

communities and organizations. Highlights include:

• Regional housing data overview on what we need, where we’re making progress, and

what is yet to come

• Keynote presentation from Jesse Wade, economist with the National Home Builders

Association

• Local developer panel featuring practitioners from across the region discussing what

it actually takes to move a project from concept to completion

• Legislative update with elected officials and staff from Lansing and Washington, D.C.

• Three practitioner breakout sessions — each offered twice — on YIMBY advocacy, the

Emerging Developer Network, and policy implementation tools, including lot splits, TIF,

and infrastructure financing

• County-level strategy time and peer networking built into the agenda

Why Attend

Housing challenges don’t resolve themselves — they require people who understand the

landscape, are equipped with practical tools, and are willing to act. The Housing Solutions

Summit is designed to be that catalyst: a day where attendees leave with a clearer sense of

what can be done and what role they can play, whether as a decision-maker, a practitioner, an

advocate, or an engaged community member. No single policy or program will solve the regional housing shortage. Progress depends on a

broad, informed coalition — and this summit is where that coalition gets built.

“We’ve done the work of documenting the problem. This summit is about

solutions — specific, practical, implementable strategies that real people in this

region can actually use. But those strategies only work if the right people are at

the table. We need builders, officials, employers, advocates, and community

members all in the same room, working toward the same goal.”

Christopher Germain, CEO, Lake Superior Community Partnership / Housing Now

Public Engagement: Michigan’s Next Statewide Housing Plan

The evening afterglow will also include a formal public engagement opportunity as part of the

development of Michigan’s next Statewide Housing Plan. The Michigan State Housing

Development Authority (MSHDA) will be in attendance to hear directly from Central U.P.

residents, organizations, and officials. This is a meaningful opportunity for the region’s voice

to be reflected in state housing policy.

Additional details on the evening session will be announced in advance of the event. Attending

the public engagement session is free.

About Housing Now

Housing Now is a public-private initiative working to expand housing supply and affordability

across Marquette County. Hosted by the LSCP Foundation and guided by a 31-member

Leadership Council, Housing Now brings together local governments, builders, employers,

lenders, and community organizations to align efforts, remove barriers, and move housing

projects forward. Housing Now was recognized as Coalition of the Year by the Home Builders

Association of Michigan in November 2025. Learn more at housingnow906.org