OTTAWA COUNTY — In a major structural overhaul, the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners voted on June 23 to disband the county’s long-standing housing commission.
In its place, officials are establishing a new housing advisory board — a transition intended to cut through bureaucratic red tape, bypass stalled federal certification efforts and leverage local private-sector expertise.
The policy shift pivots Ottawa County away from traditional, state-regulated housing models that manage contracts and loans, focusing instead on a collaborative, advisory approach to address the region’s growing housing shortages.
Pivoting away from bureaucracy
The decision to dissolve the old commission stems from years of navigating regulatory roadblocks…