A community is strongest when the people who take care of it can also live in it.
Our purpose is to create a sustainable, privately funded approach that helps strengthen our community—without adding pressure to local government budgets or altering the special character of our area.
Our Goal:
Support the creation of 300 long-term attainable homes for the people who help Leelanau County thrive every day.
Our Approach
Sleeping Bear Gateways Council (SBGC) raises private philanthropic funds to purchase land that is suitable for attainable workforce housing. Once acquired, the land is placed into a Community Land Trust (CLT) for about 99 years, ensuring long-term affordability guided by:
- State of Michigan CLT requirements
- HUD guidelines
- Proven resale and stewardship formulas
By removing the land cost from the equation, homes become much more attainable—and they stay affordable for future generations.
Attainable Housing
Many of our teachers, first responders, healthcare staff, and service workers are struggling to find housing close to their jobs. Some commute long distances; others choose to leave the region altogether. Creating attainable workforce housing is a practical way to help sustain the services, traditions, and sense of community that make our County so special.
Sleeping Bear Gateways Council, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to understanding how the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore impacts the region’s gateway communities and ensuring the unique attributes of those communities are protected. To achieve this objective, we foster collaboration among communities and stakeholders impacted by the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Leelanau and Benzie counties, to better understand how the creation of the National Lakeshore has impacted both their economies and their culture.
These communities experience significant seasonal tourism beyond what was normal prior to the Lakeshore’s creation. This has supported significant growth in the local economy but also has raised challenges for staffing, traffic, infrastructure, housing, and environmental protections.
From our earliest beginnings, we have played an active role in issues involving park boundaries, access, and private property rights. In 2018, SBGC refocused its mission to proactively address the challenges and opportunities in the gateway communities. Currently, one of the most pressing challenges, identified by SBGC and representatives of other gateway communities, is the lack of attainable housing for the workforce that is necessary to support the economic growth that the gateway communities are experiencing.
The Leelanau County Housing Collaborative emerged from the identification of this need.
Currently, SBGC is working with both private and public organizations throughout Leelanau County, and with the regional non-profit Housing North, to identify and help remove barriers that hinder increasing the number of available workforce housing units. Our goal is to continue to support various projects and initiatives to find a balance between the economic growth that has resulted from the seasonal inflow of visitors, while preserving and protecting the charm and character of the place we call home.
Collaboration with our Lakeshore Communities
By partnering with our County, Townships, Villages, and local non-profits, we can create practical, community-focused housing solutions for the people who serve Leelanau County every day.
SBGC is not seeking funding or tax dollars. Instead, we hope to collaborate on zoning pathways that make attainable homes possible—allowing modest, attractive, family-friendly homes on ¼-acre lots where appropriate. We are simply asking local governments to consider:
- Allowing higher-density zoning where appropriate
- Providing variances or zoning adjustments for parcels that can support attainable housing
- Offering streamlined or expedited reviews for community-led housing efforts
These supportive steps require no new public spending, yet they can open the door to homes that local families can truly afford—and help keep the heart of our community strong for generations.
- We launched our first Land Fund campaign, giving us the ability to move from ideas to action.
- We are actively pursuing parcels where attainable homes for our essential workers can become a reality.
- We made progress with township boards, zoning commissions, and the new Leelanau County Housing Collaborative.
- While we ask for no public funding, local zoning support is vital—and thanks to your advocacy, we are entering 2026 with real momentum.
- Strengthened the foundation of our Community Land Trust, ensuring that homes built on SBGC-supported land will remain affordable for generations.
- Built New partnerships—with Habitat for Humanity GTR, local businesses, and community leaders.
We continue to make a positive impact on the communities surrounding Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. In order to accomplish and build upon our mission, we need support in terms of volunteers and donations. Simply click on the Donation Button to help support our initiatives and help shape the future of the region.
