Struggling to Find a Place in Grand Rapids? Garages Could Soon Be the Answer

If you’ve been hunting for a place to live in Grand Rapids lately, you already know, it’s a little rough out there. Whether you’re trying to rent your first apartment or find something affordable that’s not falling apart, you’re in for a hunt and a lot of competition.

That’s because Grand Rapids has become one of the hardest places in America to find a place to live. If you're trying to rent it's not hard to see that demand is sky-high, and the rental market has earned a reputation as a “hot zip” where finding anything (much less something affordable) is a headache. Everyone is feeling it.

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But the city’s not just sitting back and watching rents climb, which is good news for renters. They’re getting creative with an idea that’s been used in other cities before: turning garages into livable apartments.

Yep, garages.

It won’t be like trying to camp out in your parents' garage back in the day, though. It’s part of a growing push to create more Accessory Dwelling Units—or ADUs, for short. These are small, secondary homes built on a property that already has a main residence. Think backyard studios, basement apartments, and, yes, even converted garages. Mayor David LeGrand recently spoke about the idea during his “Mayor Minutes” series.

And honestly, it makes a lot of sense. Grand Rapids has tons of standalone garages and underused spaces already zoned for residential use. Turning them into compact, affordable homes means the city doesn’t need to knock down buildings or stretch infrastructure too far to add housing. And, they’ll be much easier to get turned around into something people can use, which is the most important thing.

A 2023 study says Kent County will need more than 37,000 new housing units in the near future, and Grand Rapids alone will need over 14,000 of them by 2027. So, the timeline is tight, and the need is very very real.

The city plans to support the garage-to-home conversion process in the coming months, making it easier for homeowners to create and rent out these units. It won’t fix the housing crunch overnight, but it’s a smart step toward making Grand Rapids more livable for everyone.