housing

Anyone! All residents must become community owners by the time they sign a lease ($50 share purchase), but you do not need to be community owner at the time of application. Visit www.commongrounds.coop/join for more information on community ownership.

20 housing units are available for long-term rental. Units have efficient, compact design with tall, 11-foot ceiling and lots of natural light and beautiful views of the city and the river. The types of units available are:

SUITE: Rent a bedroom or bedroom/bathroom with shared access to a kitchen, bathroom, and living/dining facilities. Rent starts at $500-$750/month.

STUDIO: Compact 400 square-foot units with a sleeping area, bathroom, built-in storage, and kitchen/living area. Rent starts at $930/month.

1-BEDROOM: Up to 600 square-foot units with bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen/living area. Rent starts at $996/month.

2-BEDROOM: Up to 800 square-foot units with one large bedroom, one small bedroom, a bathroom, kitchen, and living/dining area. Rents start at $1195/month

All apartments have tall (11-feet) ceilings, with lots of natural light. All have efficient footprints, with the largest unit at 800 square feet. The flooring is a gray luxury vinyl planking, and the cabinetry is white and/or maple vinyl. The walls are white. Appliances are generally silver/steel.

To ensure that all applicants are given an equal opportunity to obtain an affordable apartment, all long-term residential units will be awarded through a lottery system. Applications open on July 18, and all applicants who apply before August 7 will be entered into a lottery for the first opportunity to lease units. If we do not receive enough applications for certain units by August 7, we may extend the application deadline as needed for specific units.

Because a key goal of Commongrounds is to ensure people can afford to live in the community where they work, people working in Commongrounds and/or within the boundaries of the City of Traverse City will receive preference in the lottery for up to approximately 3/4 of the units. People who have been offered a job they are accepting, currently work, or have retired from an employer in the City of Traverse City will qualify.

Rent will vary based on the applicant’s income, with 3/4 of the units renting out at “below market rate” for people earning the average area income or below. Applicants will self-report and certify their income levels. An applicant’s rent will be determined based on the income and rent levels for Grand Traverse County determined by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). Using the MSHDA income levels and rents allows Commongrounds to be consistent with other affordable housing in the region and to be transparent on how the numbers are calculated.

No. Individuals of all income levels are welcome to apply. However, to qualify to enter the lottery and sign a lease, you must have sources of funding sufficient to equal to at least 40% of Area Median Income annually. This might include Housing Choice vouchers, scholarships, disability or retirement income, or regular financial support from a friend or family member.

We will return application fees for anyone who is not qualified to enter the lottery based on sources of funding.

Commongrounds follows the standard practices used to set rents for affordable housing, so these prices are the same as those you would see for other affordable housing units in town. The prices are based on what MSHDA calculates working people in our community can afford, and provides a transparent basis for calculation. The average 2-person household income for our county is now $70,500, so what is “affordable” is different than the average median income would have allowed 20 years ago.

That said, we hear you! We wish we could lower the prices even further. However, new development is expensive - Commongrounds will lose money on these units at these prices as they do not cover the costs of their own construction. We are grateful to the grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the community support that has made these units possible.

Interested in helping us subsidize our income-based housing? Rent one of our short-term guest units for yourself or a visiting guest! Funds from short-term guest stays directly subsidize our income-based housing units and help make our cooperative accessible for all. Learn more here!

Because Commongrounds is all about building community, there are several common areas residents will have access to, including sitting areas, reservable guest bedrooms, community areas with balcony access, and a wellness area. Access to certain areas will be restricted at certain times of day and/or be available by reservation only. Residents will have access to shared laundry onsite. Bird crafts may be available on occasion and, of course, you can always BYOBC (Bring Your Own Bird Crafts) anywhere anytime in Commongrounds..

There is no onsite vehicle parking for residents at Commongrounds. If you plan to have a vehicle, you will need to reserve a parking spot at the Old Town parking deck (3/10 mile away) for ~$50/month.

Commongrounds will have ample bicycle parking available for residents and visitors.

The lease length is one year.

Pets are not allowed at Commongrounds at this time, while we settle into our new building and determine how our furry friends may fit into our community.

We will re-evaluate which pets to allow, if any, after 6-12 months. Some exceptions may be made for small, low impact pets such as fish.

Yes! There is a virtual tour link provided above. Sign-ups for in person tours are available through August 1.

It is! The residential units are scheduled to be completed by early September, with move in by October 1. The commercial spaces on the first and second floor are scheduled to be completed by the end of October. C

Commongrounds anticipates residents can move in as early as September 15 (fingers crossed, if construction keeps moving). Applicants can move in between September 15 and October 1, and your rent will be pro-rated to the date of move-in. If a resident prefers to move in after October 1, they will need to begin paying rent no later than October 1 to reserve their unit.

Please submit any additional questions or feedbeak to home@commongrounds.coop.