Lansing, MI – On Wednesday Governor Whitmer is set to unveil her State Budget recommendation for Fiscal Year 2026, kicking off months of negotiations in Lansing.
Whitmer’s budget recommendation will include a $2 billion line item towards housing, an expenditure she claims will be a “historic investment” to lower costs. But if she genuinely wants to lower costs, Governor Whitmer may want to take some time to self-reflect instead of throwing more tax dollars at her own problem.
“Michigan’s housing shortage comes down to basic supply and demand. The problem isn’t a lack of funding, the problem is Lansing’s red tape chokehold on our state’s housing supply,” said Zach Rudat, Advocacy Director of Michigan Freedom Fund. “Throwing tax dollars at the problem does nothing to lower housing costs. Instead of wasting billions of tax dollars, Governor Whitmer should work with Republicans to cut red tape, rein in out-of-control regulations, and deliver genuine savings for all Michigan homebuyers.”
In typical Whitmer fashion, the Governor’s proposal goes the route of picking winners and losers. Under her plan, only a handful of well-connected developers would be the winners at the taxpayer’s expense. But if Lansing reins in construction regulations, we could see housing costs decline by nearly 23% for everyone.
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