Second Wave

Block by Block is a solutions journalism series that is supported by IFF, CEDAM and Invest Detroit, and is focused on community development leaders and initiatives in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Housing is expensive, but vital to communities. Across Michigan, there are challenges and hurdles for all developers throughout the present-day affordable housing development landscape.

The narrative that Michigan’s childcare system is rife with fraud persists despite little evidence of abuse. When allegations surfaced in June that a childcare facility in Macomb County had improperly received more than $1 million in state childcare funds, the claims quickly spread online and reignited familiar conversations about fraud, waste, and abuse in public assistance programs. There was just one problem.

A dinner meeting held close to the stage at The Loading Dock. Photo: Courtesy Editor’s Note: This story is part of Momentum: The people and companies shaping what’s next, a weekly series that explores new ventures, founder support, and the resources powering entrepreneurship and small businesses across seven counties in Southwest Michigan. This project is sponsored by Southwest Michigan First.

Michigan’s community mental health agencies provide services and support to those seeking help for substance use disorders. Despite Michigan being labeled a “rehab desert” by the 2026 Rehab Desert Index, some of the state’s leading mental health experts say the findings don’t offer a full picture. They spotlight the vast services and vital role that community mental health (CMH) agencies play in the rehab and recovery landscape.

The goal for Kalamazoo Avenue: Two-way with improved sidewalk, parking, turn lane and more. Editor’s Note: This series explores the ongoing transformation of downtown Kalamazoo. From a new arena rising to fresh businesses opening and festivals drawing crowds, these changes are redefining how we experience the heart of downtown. This project is sponsored by the City of Kalamazoo. KALAMAZOO, MI — A new future for Downtown Kalamazoo streets is coming.

Junkless bars on Target’s shelves in 2026. Photo: Courtesy Editor’s Note: In 2023, former Kellogg executives Ernie Pang and Larry Beyer sold a majority stake in the company they founded, Junkless Foods, to Impact Capital, the private equity arm of entrepreneur Mike Repole’s family office. They recently shared with On the Ground Battle Creek how they built Junkless Bars from a startup idea into a nationwide grocery brand.

There was a turnout of neighbors and officials at the June 11 ribbon-cutting at the new house on 617 Ada St., developed by Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services. Photo: Fran Dwight There are five new houses on the blocks along Ada and Simpson Streets on the Northside. They’re part of a two-pronged development approach — building new houses that are meant to remain affordable for 99 years and rehabbing houses already there — undertaken by Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services.

Editor’s Note: All photos were taken by Fran Dwight. Millage requests in Kalamazoo County are nothing new, but one that appears on the August primary ballot is a first-of-its-kind to address the childcare needs of the county’s youngest residents.

Harbor Farmz current location at 2839 Full Circle Drive. Photo: Courtesy, Harbor Farmz KALAMAZOO, MI — As generative AI services like ChatGPT and Claude have exploded in popularity in recent years, demand for the data centers that power them has grown just as quickly.

Lisa Carruth, lead teacher at Creative Hearts Childcare in Detroit. Many childcare educators earn wages below a livable wage in Michigan. Michigan’s early childhood education system faces mounting pressure as providers across the state struggle with staffing shortages, high turnover, rising operational costs, and wages that advocates say remain far too low to sustain the workforce.