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Lack of affordable housing hurts families, business up north

Aaron Selbig

Affordable housing is hard to find up north. If you want a vacation rental for a week, it's not too difficult to find one. But it can be tough to find an apartment or house to rent in the long term, especially if you're lower or middle-income.

And, of course, affordable is a relative term.

"[Affordable] could be for lower-income households a rental with a monthly rent of about $600 to $700," Sarah Lucas says.

Lucas is regional planning department manager for Networks Northwest, a group that works on planning issues with local governments and community leaders.

"Or it could be a home for about $85,000," she says.

As Lucas explains, the 2010 foreclosure crisis is a big reason why northern Michigan has so few affordable housing options in 2015.