Shelley Sharan, director of community engagement for Housing North, told the Petoskey City Council on Nov. 6 that a 2023 needs assessment shows the city has a rental gap of 273 units and a for‑sale housing gap of 340 units, and that Emmet County-wide needs are larger.

"The housing needs assessment ... shows that there's a rental gap of 273 units and a for sale housing gap of 340 units," Sharan said during a presentation to the council. She told members the highest rental need is for households below 50% of area median income (AMI) and that homeownership need is concentrated at roughly 81%–120% AMI.

The presentation summarized projects under construction or planned in Petoskey, including City Park Grill workforce units, the Lofts at Lumber Square (about 60 apartments aimed at up to 120% AMI), Victory Square (about 50 apartments), Michigan Maple Black (204 apartments) and Hotel Del Rey, and noted preservation work funded through a CDBG home‑repair contract and projects by the Northern Homes Community Land Trust. Sharan cautioned that a county‑wide count of 937 units “in progress” includes concept‑stage developments and that permit counts (197 permits pulled since 2023) better indicate projects moving to construction.

Housing North also introduced the Zoning Atlas, a GIS‑based tool that maps ordinance text to parcels to show permitted uses and highlight where zoning could enable different housing types. "It takes the written text of an ordinance and it puts it into a map form," Sharan said, demonstrating an interactive map showing parcels that permit accessory dwelling units.

Councilmembers pressed Housing North for a breakdown of the 865‑unit rental gap cited for Emmet County and for more detail on household sizes and unit types needed. Sharan said Housing North will follow up with additional AMI and household‑size detail and noted the group will continue community outreach around the Zoning Atlas and housing readiness checklist.

Why it matters: Councilmembers and regional partners said Petoskey’s amenity concentration — schools, jobs and infrastructure — will continue to attract housing demand, meaning city zoning and infrastructure capacity will strongly influence where and what developers build. Council members urged a dual strategy of pursuing deeply subsidized units for very low incomes while also using zoning changes to encourage “gentle density” that can grow supply at multiple income levels.

Looking ahead: Housing North said it will supply the council with more granular AMI and permit‑to‑construction tracking, and it invited Petoskey to participate in Zoning Atlas community planning sessions when the project enters that stage.