Residents

Whether you are a longtime resident of Marquette County wanting to ensure the housing shortage doesn’t impact your ability to stay or someone looking to move to our beautiful and prospering community, you have a role to play in helping alleviate our housing crunch. This page, first and foremost, includes resources to help you serve as a local advocate for more housing. We’ve also included some resources to help you find housing or housing assistance as well.

"Yes In My Back Yard" (YIMBY)

Many have heard of the term NIMBY (“Not In My Back Yard”). Perhaps you’ve even heard of BANANA (“Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone”). In Marquette County, we prefer to focus our energy on welcoming new housing through the support of YIMBYs! Your efforts to ensure local boards and officials understand the importance of housing and that you support many of the best practices found elsewhere on this site – such as zoning reform, streamlined permitting processes, and targeted incentives – are essential to helping our message get through.

We’re working to develop Marquette County specific messaging and data points, but initially you can check out these resources below. A more comprehensive toolkit will be released in the second quarter of 2025.

Housing North Communications Toolkit

NHC Messaging & Framing Toolkit

Homes for All Montgomery County Messaging Toolkit

Need help getting the message through? Reach out to Housing Now to connect and see how we can assist.

Tell Your Housing Story

While data informs policy, stories sell the need for it. Your story about the importance of finding housing for your particular needs can help create change! A few ground rules:

Stay honest, but positive. Stick to the fact and the real-world implications.
Stories that make personal attacks against particular land owners, developers, or elected/appointed officials will not be used.
Think about what would need to change to improve the outcome. New building types? More incentives? Better zoning? Specific recommendations go a long way.

Tell Your Story

Housing Resources

Finding Housing

Rental Listings and Market Information

Local Platforms:
- Marquette Area Rental Listings on Facebook Marketplace or local classifieds.
- Realtor.com, Zillow, and Apartments.com for general listings.

Affordable Housing Finder:

Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA): MSHDA Housing Locator - An official tool to help residents find affordable housing across Michigan.
Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8): Marquette Housing Authority: Offers Housing Choice Vouchers for eligible families. Contact: (906) 228-4040

Tenant and Homebuyer Assistance Programs:

First-Time Homebuyer Programs:
- Marquette County First-Time Homebuyer Program: Offers down payment assistance for low to moderate-income buyers.
Rent Assistance Programs:
- Emergency Rental Assistance: Provided by local agencies such as Community Action Alger Marquette (CAAM) to help residents with rent payments.
- Marquette Housing Authority: Rent assistance for those facing temporary financial hardships.

Housing Assistance

Below are some common agencies for housing assistance. This list is not exhaustive. Housing Now is not an expert on these services – please reach out to agencies directly for more information or assistance.

Community Action Alger-Marquette (CAAM): CAAM offers various housing services, including the Housing Choice Voucher program, which provides rental subsidies to eligible individuals and families. They also provide resources for homelessness solutions, weatherization assistance, and home repairs.
Marquette County Housing Rehabilitation Program: This program assists low-income homeowners with repairs to ensure safe and decent living conditions. To apply, homeowners must complete a Pre-Qualification Form.
Marquette Housing Commission: The commission administers Housing Choice Vouchers for very low-income families, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities, helping them afford decent and safe housing.
Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA): MSHDA provides statewide resources, including affordable rental housing directories and information on various housing assistance programs.