Seeking Transformative Ideas

Call for Housing Innovation

The Frey Foundation seeks to focus and mobilize talent in the community to generate innovative ideas that will accelerate access to sustainable, quality housing opportunities in Kent County, with an emphasis on Asset-Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—ALICE populations. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to catalyze creative place-based solutions that help position Kent County and West Michigan among the best in class for housing affordability.

An award of up to $150,000 is granted to an agency or partnership submitting an innovative, actionable plan, concept or collaboration to effectively reduce the number of ALICE families spending more than 30 percent of their monthly income on housing. Applications are evaluated by an external, multi-sector advisory panel coordinated by the Grand Valley Metro Council. Click here to download the detailed 2018 call for ideas.

Questions? Please click here for a list of frequently asked questions or feel free to contact us at [email protected] or (616) 451-0303.

2018 Housing Innovation Award Winner

The Frey Foundation is pleased to announce Inner City Christian Federation (ICCF) as the recipient of its inaugural Housing Innovation Award. ICCF will use the $150,000 award to create a Community Homes Land Trust and support structures designed to create and preserve affordable homeownership and rental opportunities for ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families in Kent County.

In the planned Community Homes Land Trust model, homes are sold at below-market prices to income-qualified households who cannot afford to buy on the open market. Upon resale, any home in the Land Trust remains affordable by utilizing a portion of the appreciation to reduce the purchase price for the next owner, preserving affordability from generation to generation.

Click here to learn more about ICCF.

Our trustees are committed to being at the table and playing a meaningful role in moving the needle on housing insecurity on behalf of ALICE families in West and Northern Michigan. This work can’t be done by one funder or in silos. We are committed to learning and listening for emerging opportunities, and are willing to try new approaches to make an impact on those we seek to serve.

We are honored to receive this award and are excited to expand affordable housing opportunities in our community. We recognize the need for solutions to affordable housing that go beyond new construction. With the support of the Housing Innovation Award, we will leverage existing assets to bring affordability to both renters and potential homeowners.

Who is ALICE?

ALICE stands for Asset-Limited, Income Constrained, Employed and is defined by the United Way as workers who earn more than the federal poverty level, but not enough to afford basic necessities of housing, child care, food, transportation, and health care.

View Michigan’s 2019 ALICE Report

Application

Housing Innovation applications are no longer being accepted for 2018. 

Please review our grant guidelines to learn more about Frey Foundation’s grantmaking priorities and standard application process.

  • September

    Call for Ideas

  • October

    Application Deadline

  • December

    Idea Announced

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