Major upgrades on the way for two troubled and outdated affordable housing properties in Benton Harbor

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. -- A major redevelopment project is coming to a long-troubled property in Benton Harbor.

Last week, Michigan Congressman Bill Huizenga announced millions of federal dollars have been secured to make crucial repairs to both the Harbor Towers and Buss Avenue Apartments buildings, an estimated $51 million project.

Over the years, the Harbor Towers property has been known for code violations, leaks, crime, and complaints.

Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad says he's heard the cries from residents since even before he was mayor.

Now, with federal funding secured, he says they're finally on the other side of a long-awaited, much-needed project.

In 2024, Michigan Congressman Bill Huizenga took a tour and spoke with residents of Harbor Towers along with Mayor Muhammad.

He remembers this walk-through as being eye-opening.

"I mean, elevators weren't working; staircases weren't lit properly," Huizenga remembers. "Then also the ingress egress of it, the potential crime and the things that were going on in that housing development were just not acceptable."

From that day forward, Huizenga made a promise to the people living in the eight-story apartment complex for seniors and the disabled that living conditions would be improved.

"I felt strongly that folks deserve to have a safe place to live," says Huizenga.

After conversations with US Housing and Urban Development, HUD, Secretary Scott Turner, that federal funding is now secured.

Seventeen million dollars in federal low-income housing tax credit equity and roughly 4.4 million through HUD programs.

"I was asking for help, money," says Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad. "Because that's ultimately, all of the violations, all of the things that needed to be done were pointed out, but it takes money to repair, renovate, rehabilitate."

The fifty-one-million-dollar project will not only bring much-needed upgrades to Harbor Towers, but also to the Buss Avenue Apartments just down the street; another affordable housing development in dire need of renovations.

"It's declined and deteriorated to where the demand for it to be renovated is up here," says Muhammad.

This major overhaul of 173 units also delivers on the promise of modernizing and supporting affordable housing in the city.

"That Saint Joe/ Benton Harbor area is a great place to live, work, and recreate, and that should be available to everybody," Huizenga says.

"This one is very near and dear to my heart because this development is for the least of these and those who are most in need and they'll have a good place to live," says Muhammad.

On top of the renovations, the project is also expected to generate millions of dollars in economic development for the city through jobs supporting local contractors and suppliers, as well as small businesses.

An exact timeline isn't set in stone yet for the redevelopment, but Mayor Muhammad tells ABC57 2027 will surely be a year of construction at the towers.