PDF Guidebooks, Toolkits & Publications for Housing Development
Housing work moves faster when the right document is already on your desk. The publications, toolkits, and guidebooks in this section are the ones our regional partners reach for most. They are practical, current, and trusted by housing professionals across Michigan and the country.
Whether you are writing a zoning amendment, building a financing stack, training a planning commission, or making the case to a city council for the first time, the resources below are designed to help you move from idea to action without reinventing the wheel.
What You Will Find Here
The library is grouped by source organization. Each entry includes a description, the intended audience, and a direct link to the publication. We have curated resources from the following partners:
- National Housing Crisis Task Force. Federal policy frameworks, the State and Local Housing Action Plan, and a resource hub built for communities ready to lead on housing without waiting for Washington.
- National League of Cities (NLC). The Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook (co-developed with the American Planning Association), messaging toolkits, workforce toolkits, landlord engagement guides, and eviction prevention tools designed for local government leaders.
- Main Street America. A Housing Guidebook for Local Leaders, the BOOMS Tracker for property inventory, the At Home on Main Street housing quiz, and tools for property development in downtown and neighborhood commercial districts.
- Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). The Get Housing Ready Guide, the Michigan Statewide Housing Plan, the Housing TIF FAQ and technical memorandum, MSHDA Residential Housing Construction Standards, and homebuyer program guidebooks.
- Michigan Association of Planning (MAP). The Zoning Reform Toolkit: 15 Tools to Increase Housing Choice and Supply, plus a companion guide with case studies and survey data from Michigan communities already doing the work.
- MEDC and MiPlace. Community development program brochures, the Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) library, the RRC Resiliency Toolkit, and the Michigan Main Street resource library.
- CEDAM. Information on the Michigan Housing and Community Development Fund and CEDAM’s broader housing initiatives hub, including the Real Estate Development Boot Camp and the Housing Developers Forum.
- Enterprise Community Partners. The Joint Venture Guidebook, the Partnerships for Housing Preservation Toolkit, Preserving Affordability and Preventing Displacement, the Green Affordable Housing Policy Toolkit, and the Multifamily Affordable Housing Decarbonization Toolkit.
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The HUD Home Buying Guide, the Homeowner’s Guide to Success, the First-Time Homebuyers Mortgage 101 brochure, and the Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Guidebook.
- Additional national resources. The Housing-Ready City toolkit from Strong Towns, the Missing Middle Housing reference from Opticos Design, and the Summer 2024 MML Review on zoning reform and housing in Michigan.
- Region G and Housing Forward. Housing Is Economic Development, the Housing Forward Incentive Overview, the Rural Housing Toolkit and presentation deck, and the East Central Region Housing Needs Assessment.
How To Use This Library
1.
Start with your role.
Each resource is tagged for audience: officials, developers, builders, homeowners, renters, or all. Use the tags to filter quickly so you spend time reading what is actually useful for the work in front of you.
2.
Pair documents that work together.
The Zoning Reform Toolkit and the Get Housing Ready Guide are stronger together. The Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook pairs naturally with the State and Local Housing Action Plan. The Rural Housing Toolkit was built to be read alongside MSHDA program guidance.
3.
Bring them to the table.
Most of these documents are designed to be shared. Print the one-pagers. Forward the links. Walk a board member through the Pattern Book before your next zoning conversation. Hand the right brochure to a developer evaluating a Region G project.
If you do not see a publication you are looking for, contact Housing Forward. We will help you find it or connect you with the right partner across the eight counties we serve: Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, and Saginaw.
National Housing Crisis Task Force
From Crisis to Transformation: A Federal Housing Policy Agenda
Comprehensive report with 40 policy recommendations for how the Administration and Congress can leverage federal resources to address the housing crisis. Covers land, capital, construction, regulation, and governance.
State and Local
Housing Action Plan
15 innovative tools across five housing ecosystem segments (land, capital, construction, regulation/policy, governance). Includes case studies from Atlanta, Seattle, LA, Denver. Designed to reduce reliance on federal support.
State & Local Action Plan – Introduction (Draft)
Introduction and “how to” guide for the full Action Plan. Summarizes all expected tools and framework for implementation.
Resources Hub
Central portal with all Task Force publications, tools, and action plan materials.
National League of Cities (NLC)
Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook: Solutions, Systems, Partnerships
Comprehensive playbook covering four sections: Collaboration & Partnerships, Construction & Development, Finance, and Land Use & Regulation. 40,000+ views, 10,000+ downloads. Developed jointly with American Planning Association.
Making the Case for Healthy & Safe Housing Policies: A Messaging Toolkit
Key messages and communication best practices for convincing stakeholders why healthy and safe housing policies matter. Designed for elected officials and city staff.
Healthy Housing Workforce Toolkit
Resources for city leaders to develop a healthy housing workforce program. Eight-action framework for implementation.
Landlord Engagement Toolkit
Resources for city leaders to build or refine strategies for engaging landlords in affordable housing programs. Downloadable individual resource components.
Local Eviction Prevention Policy Tool
Interactive resource helping elected officials, city staff, nonprofits, and researchers understand the local eviction prevention landscape.
Main Street America
A Housing Guidebook for Local Leaders
Practical “how-tos” for identifying housing opportunities, building inventories, making sense of housing finance, and navigating code/regulatory challenges. Includes stories from Main Street Coordinators.
A Report on the State of Housing in Downtown & Neighborhood Commercial Districts
Research report on housing conditions, trends, and opportunities in commercial districts across the Main Street network.
Main Street Housing Quiz ("At Home
on Main Street")
12-question assessment tool to evaluate your district’s housing strengths and challenges. Provides targeted resources based on your district’s “personality.”
BOOMS Tracker (Building Opportunities on Main Street)
Property inventory tool for local leaders to gather, store, and showcase information about buildings and lots in their districts.
Main Street Guide for Property Development
Guide covering property development strategies specifically for Main Street and downtown commercial districts.
Community Reuse Property Prioritization Tool
Tool for identifying and prioritizing reuse opportunities for vacant or underutilized properties in commercial districts.
MSHDA (Michigan State Housing Development Authority)
Get Housing Ready Guide
Guide for local/regional leaders with actionable strategies to attract housing development: property inventory, policy improvements, financial tools, building public support, streamlining approvals.
Michigan Statewide Housing Plan
Michigan’s first-ever comprehensive statewide housing plan (November 2023). Framework for addressing housing needs across the state.
Housing TIF FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Housing Tax Increment Financing — a key tool for funding affordable housing development.
Housing TIF Memorandum & Formulas
Technical memorandum with formulas and methodology for Housing TIF calculations.
Residential Housing Construction Standards
Construction standards and accessibility requirements for MSHDA-funded housing development projects.
Michigan Association of Planning (MAP)
Zoning Reform Toolkit: 15 Tools to Increase Housing Choice & Supply
15 zoning tools with descriptions of what each is, why it impacts housing, how it’s used, obstacles, case studies, and resources. Recommended regulatory changes that can be done NOW without legislative changes.
Zoning Reform Stories and Studies (Companion Guide)
Case studies and survey results from Michigan communities implementing zoning reform. Companion to the Zoning Reform Toolkit.
MEDC / MiPlace
Community Development
Programs Brochure
Overview brochure of all MEDC community development programs including RRC, Main Street, RAP, Build MI Community, and more.
Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) Library
Guides, templates, and examples for each of the six RRC best practices. Includes the Pattern Book with zoning modernization toolkit.
RRC Resiliency
Toolkit
Self-assessment tools, data-collection resources, sample language, and examples of successful resilience projects for communities.
Michigan Main Street
Resource Library
Full resource library for Michigan Main Street communities, including housing-focused publications and tools.
CEDAM
Michigan Housing Trust
Fund Information
Overview of the Michigan Housing and Community Development Fund (MHCDF), a key financing mechanism for affordable housing.
CEDAM Housing
Initiatives Hub
Central page for all CEDAM housing programs including Real Estate Development Boot Camp, Housing Developers Forum, and virtual learning series on LIHTC, QAP, and multi-family development.
Enterprise Community Partners
Joint Venture Guidebook
Guide for organizations partnering to develop affordable and supportive housing. Includes 11 case studies of actual transactions covering joint venture structures and approaches.
Partnerships for Housing
Preservation Toolkit
Best practices and guidance for acquiring, rehabilitating, and preserving long-term affordability of small to medium multifamily properties.
Preserving Affordability, Preventing Displacement
Strategies and tools for communities working to preserve affordable housing and prevent displacement in changing neighborhoods.
Multifamily Affordable Housing Decarbonization Toolkit
Resources for deploying policies and financing tools to meet decarbonization goals in affordable housing. Based on findings from affordable housing convenings.
Enterprise Learning Center &
Research Hub
Full library of publications, reports, and tools from Enterprise’s policy, capital, and impact teams.
HUD (U.S. Dept. of
Housing & Urban Development)
Homeowner's Guide to Success
Post-purchase guide for sustaining homeownership. Includes information on HUD-approved housing counselors and foreclosure prevention resources.
First-Time Homebuyers
Mortgage 101
Brochure explaining mortgage basics for first-time buyers. Covers loan types, the application process, and HUD-approved counseling.
HCV Homeownership
Guidebook
Guidebook for PHAs on starting a Housing Choice Voucher homeownership program. Covers program design, policies, and administration.
Additional National Resources
The Housing-Ready City: A Toolkit for Local Code Reform
Six essential code reforms every city should implement: allow conversion to duplex/triplex, permit backyard cottages, repeal minimum lot sizes, legalize starter homes, eliminate parking mandates, streamline approvals.
Missing Middle Housing (Daniel Parolek)
Seminal resource on Missing Middle Housing — duplexes, triplexes, courtyard apartments, etc. — as a response to demand for walkable urban living.
MML Review: Zoning Reform and Housing (Summer 2024)
Michigan Municipal League magazine issue focused on zoning reform and housing. Covers state and local perspectives on housing policy.
Region G / Housing Forward (Google Drive)
Housing Is Economic Development
Making the case that housing investment is economic development. Multiple versions available.
Housing Forward Incentive Overview 2025
Presentation covering subsidies, financing gaps, AMI levels, and what planners and city leaders can do to enable housing development. Includes case studies (Sawmill Lofts).
Rural Housing Toolkit (2024)
Toolkit specifically addressing rural housing development challenges and strategies.
East Central Region Housing Needs Assessment
Comprehensive housing needs assessment for the East Central Region of Michigan (Region G).
Zoning Summary & Housing Collabor-action Agenda
Zoning summary used for Housing Collabor-action Team meetings. Covers local zoning reform strategies.