General Neighborhood Information
Whether you’re looking for a home to buy or an apartment to rent, Kalamazoo has it all. Each of more than twenty neighborhoods in Kalamazoo, seven of which surround our vibrant downtown, has unique characteristics, which make Kalamazoo a cool place to live.
Several neighborhoods have established associations that sponsor programs that support the needs of their residents. The City also partners with numerous public and private partners to implement redevelopment projects that help maintain diverse, clean, safe and quality neighborhoods, which are essential to the growth and vigor of Kalamazoo.
The development of downtown Kalamazoo makes the community more vital and vibrant for residents and visitors to the area. Projects include the development of Kalamazoo City Center, which includes retail and office space, the Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center renovation, Kalamazoo Valley Museum and downtown Arcadia Festival Site. These venues boast more than one million visitors annually.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) & Home Equalizer
The City's GIS service allows citizens to search our city-wide mapping system for a particular property. You have the option of viewing the city in detail based on a particular address, property identification number (PIN) or by zooming in to an area of interest.
Additionally, the City provides a property database hosted on the BS&A Software website, which represents the City’s assessment records. This information is only updated periodically, so users of this application should verify the information with the public primary sources. For verification of assessment information, please contact the Assessor's Office at (269) 337-8011. For zoning information, please call (269) 337-8044. The City of Kalamazoo assumes no liability for the information contained on this site.
Housing Facts about the City
According to the 2000 U.S. Census Housing Information, the median income for a household within the City was $31,189 and the median income for a family was $42,438 with a per capita income of $16,897. 24.3% of the population and 13.6% of families were below the poverty line. 26% of those under 18 years of age and 11.3% of those over 65 years of age live below the poverty line.
In 2005, of the 31,782 houses in the City of Kalamazoo, 29,411 are occupied. 48% of the occupied houses are owner-occupied households and 52% are renter-occupied residencies. The City has 3,854 rental properties, representing 15,903 units. Currently, 89% of properties are certified and 90% of units are certified.
Affordable Housing Information
The City of Kalamazoo created a ten-point affordable housing strategy, which was adopted by the City Commission in 2005 and is being used as the foundation for a county-wide affordable housing plan. Affordable housing for the homeless population is paramount for the City of Kalamazoo as well as the County. Population projections estimate approximately 29,413 housing units needed in the City to accommodate the anticipated increase.
Builders and apartment community owners have been working to accommodate citizens’ affordable housing needs. As a result, communities such as Kalamazoo Village Apartments on Burdick Street (24 units), Ashley Square Apartments on North Street (12 units) and Apple Ridge Apartments on Flower Street (56 units) were built and are 100% occupied.
Additionally, the Rosewood Development on 12th Street became the first development of its kind in Kalamazoo to offer mixed-use housing to low/moderate income families. This community has 68 affordable apartments and 12 single-family homes constructed for sale.
There are more than 5,000 subsidized housing units available in Kalamazoo County for qualified families. According to Michigan’s Housing Development Authority subsidized Housing Inventory, currently, there are approximately 5,889 units in Kalamazoo County. Since 2000, the number of subsidized housing units in the City of Kalamazoo is up from 63% to 68% or approximately 3,985 units. This number includes all government programs such as Section 8, 202, 236, 515, MSHDA and LIHTC.
The City of Kalamazoo supports organizations in the community that work to house underrepresented populations throughout the City. Organizations such as Residential Opportunities, Inc., Housing Resources Inc. and Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. to provide families with pre- and post-purchase housing counseling, financing alternatives, rehabilitation/repair of rental/owner occupied units; as well as, providing leadership in managing rental units.
The City of Kalamazoo has aggressively tackled housing issues through the A+ Neighborhood Program. As a result, rental certification rates have risen 92% and aggressive anti-blight initiatives have continued since 2003.
- 2003, the City inspected 11,484 rental units and 200 abandoned structures – 111 structures were brought into compliance
- 2004, the City targeted 254 abandoned structures – 70 structures were brought into compliance
- 2005, the City brought 54 abandoned structures into compliance
Repair Resources
Unfortunately, the City of Kalamazoo's Community Planning and Development Department does not have a home repair/rehabilitation program at this time. Click here for a listing of home repair resources offered by area agencies that may be able to assist you.
