Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan supplemental bill to power economic development and create thousands of good-paying American jobs, improve retention and recruitment in the health care workforce, lower the cost of energy efficient home repairs, and build affordable housing.
“I’m proud to sign this bipartisan legislation to grow our economy, protect public health, and lower costs for families,” said Governor Whitmer. “We are coming together to recruit and retain health care workers, invest in regional economic development and infrastructure to secure thousands of good-paying American manufacturing jobs, and lower utility costs for families. I look forward to working with my legislative partners to build on this legislation to continue lowering costs, creating jobs, and investing in communities across Michigan.”
Nearly $300 million will support future business growth in Marshall, securing 2,500 good-paying manufacturing jobs. The supplemental also provides $330 million to make community improvements in Marshall. The funds will be used to expand M-96 from two lanes to four, make intersection upgrades, and reconstruct interchanges on I-94 and I-69.
Investing in Health Care Recruitment and Retention
The bill will provide $75 million to recruit and retain health care workers. These funds can be used to increase wages for staff and provide workforce retention bonuses as well as support programs that provide tuition assistance, student loan support, workforce grants, and training. Additionally, $63.5 million will fund a 2% rate increase for nursing homes.
Community Development and Affordable Housing
The supplemental also addresses proposals laid out in Governor Whitmer’s 2024 budget recommendation, reappropriating $150 million to build affordable housing across the state and setting aside $212 million for home energy rebates for home appliances, heating and cooling systems, electric vehicle chargers, and solar installation and battery storage.
The supplemental delivers $60 million in grants for acquisition, planning, construction, programming, and development for community centers. This funding will support local governments, nonprofits, and faith-based institutions with grants of up to $2.5 million each. At least 50% of these grants are required to go to areas below the median income and areas or organizations that were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supporting Community Health and Wellbeing
The legislation also delivers $750,000 in grants to groups that provide outreach for suicide prevention services.
Lastly, the bill improves public safety with $10.8 million to begin the Community Violence Intervention initiative and provide grants to community-based organizations that provide community violence intervention services.
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