Michigan Business Beat | Tim Klont, MSHDA, 2026 Building Michigan Communities Conference, And Policy

Chris Holman welcomes Tim Klont, Chief Operating Officer, MSHDA, Lansing, MI. Welcome Tim. Remind the Michigan business community about MSHDA? You're the head of the planning committee for a big event MSHDA is hosting soon. Tell us about it? So, the 2026 Building Michigan Communities Conference (BMCC), features networking, educational sessions, and policy discussions. What's a highlight for this year? We've visited this before, and Cinnaire often plays a big role. Speak about their commitment to community housing? » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Watch MBN’s YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/ A Must-Attend Second Plenary Added BMCC is thrilled to announce a fresh new take on the typical plenary experience: Building SHP 2.0 Together: A Statewide Working Session Get an inside look at the progress of Michigan’s Statewide Housing Plan and help shape what comes next. This won’t be a typical plenary. After a quick update on what’s working (and what we’ve learned), we’ll roll up our sleeves for a hands-on session where your voice matters. Using a mix of interactive techniques that mirror the engagement strategies of the broader SHP 2.0 process, attendees will: Share challenges and regional differences across Michigan’s housing landscape Contribute insights drawn from experience See their input reflected in real time and connected to emerging statewide strategies This is your chance to directly influence SHP 2.0 and be part of building an action-focused, responsive, and implementation-ready SHP 2.0 housing blueprint for Michigan. The plenary will be hosted by: Kyle Smith headshot Kyle Smith is a national subject matter expert in housing supply, local housing planning, and zoning reforms. For ICF, he leads teams developing innovative housing solutions for regions, states, and cities, and has provided technical assistance for HUD, FHWA, the Chicago-area Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, and other organizations. For five years, he served as director of the Chicago-area Homes for a Changing Region program, which provided technical assistance to municipalities to produce local housing policy plans, and he provided technical assistance on housing and transportation affordability strategies at the Center for Neighborhood Technology. He serves as Project Manager for Michigan’s Statewide Housing Plan 2.0. Courtney Barthle headshot Courtney Barthle is a senior people and project leader, published author, expert facilitator, and recognized speaker and coach. She leads project teams working to develop equitable solutions for dismantling systems that limit economic mobility and self-determination for marginalized families. A research-to-practice expert with decades of experience in human-centered design and multimodal stakeholder engagement, she leads ICF’s Poverty Solutions practice and advises across multisector equity-focused program offerings. She is honored to be leading the community engagement elements of Michigan’s Statewide Housing Plan 2.0 effort. Explore Tracks BMCC features 80+ sessions across five learning tracks plus two bonus tracks, offering practical tools and new perspectives you can bring back to your community. Asset Management Community & Economic Development Homeownership Finance & Development Preventing & Ending Homelessness Rental Finance & Development CHECK OUT SESSIONS