'Housing will be more affordable:' How President Biden's 'Build Back Better' plan would benefit Michigan

DETROIT (FOX 2) - President Joe Biden's Housing and Urban Development secretary shared how the "Build Back Better" plan would benefit Michigan.

"We cannot continue to let young people, babies, live in squalor. We cannot continue to let senior citizens sleep on our streets," HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge said. "It is a new day and we are going to do great things."

Related: President Biden coming to Michigan this week

In Michigan, a minimum wage worker would need to work 77 hours to afford a two-bedroom rental, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

"We made a commitment nobody was going to be pushed out to make room for new residents, so we have taken 3,000 affordable housing units that were expiring and extended all 3,000 units for another 20, 30, 40 years," Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said. 

State leaders say they're also addressing the problem by investing a hundred million dollars in American Rescue Plan funds in Michigan's housing trust fund, which is expected to leverage an additional $380 million in private investment.

"Housing will be more affordable in the state of Michigan thanks to this investment," said Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist

Michigan senators have praised the president's plan that includes more than affordable housing.

"Whether it's housing, healthy food, healthcare, education, good-paying jobs for folks to take care of themselves and their families, it is all about committing to people," Sen. Debbie Stabenow said.

There has been no agreement on the plan among Democratic lawmakers.