Opinion: To tackle rising costs and extremism in the state house, we need leaders who’ve done it locally

In an op-ed, Stephen Wooden, a Kent County Commissioner and candidate for Michigan State House District 81, calls for tackling rising costs and extremism, drawing on his local experience in housing and bipartisan leadership

Michigan’s future is threatened by rising costs and rising extremism. I’m running for state representative because I’ve been tackling both for years in my community as a nonprofit professional and Kent County Commissioner. I’m ready to do more in Lansing and help deliver for all Michiganders.

For most of the last decade of my career, I’ve been working to bring down housing and energy costs for everyday Michiganders. I’ve worked alongside public and community leaders to form downtown sustainability partnerships and help homeowners reduce their electric bills with rooftop solar. For seven years, I worked for one of the largest nonprofit housing organizations in West Michigan — Dwelling Place of Grand Rapids. There, I personally helped develop or preserve nearly 1,000 affordable apartments and homes in our region, including new starter homes for those striving for the middle class.

I’m no stranger to the pitfalls that doom new housing. Facing them has prepared me to lead and offer statewide solutions to this statewide crisis. As a leader in the local nonprofit sector, I urged the passing of state legislation to provide more local tools to build more starter homes. I am running for state representative to further empower local communities to create housing at all price points, modernize building codes to safely build different types of housing, and make it harder for Wall Street corporations to price everyday folks out of the homebuying market.

While my passion for tackling these issues is shared among many, my experience is rare. There have been few state legislators in Michigan’s history who have developed affordable and workforce housing in our state, prior to joining the state legislature. I’m proud of our recent collective achievements in Kent County that advance good housing choices for everyone. These experiences have prepared me to help create statewide reforms.

I’m running for state representative because costs for essentials like housing, childcare, and prescription drugs keep rising. Over the years, I have garnered the trust of community members and neighbors alike in tackling rising costs. I’m ready to help expand choices and go after corporations who gouge prices.

In addition to my professional work, I’ve served on the Kent County Commission since 2019. Despite being part of a Democratic minority during my entire tenure on the board, I’ve been able to work across the aisle and enact good public policy. This includes negotiating a bipartisan plan to invest $108 million of the county’s share of funds from the American Rescue Plan and leading efforts to create Kent County’s new Affordable Housing Revolving Loan fund. This $58.3 million, public-private partnership is now the largest fund of its kind in West Michigan. In joining a Democratic majority in the state house, I look forward to working with all of my colleagues to deliver even more dynamic solutions for Michiganders.

Furthermore, I would be remiss if I didn’t seek to address the rise of extremism and its damaging effect on state and local governments. We witnessed this next door with Ottawa Impact’s dysfunctional leadership of their county government. I’m working to stop similar attempts to advance an extremist agenda in Kent County. I’ve stood up to extremist attacks against our Health Department and the Kent District library. I am ready to stand up to extremist attacks against reproductive freedom and voting rights in the Michigan Legislature.

The best way to combat rising costs and dangerous extremism is with competent, compassionate leaders who have been doing this vital work. I’m running for state representative to offer my experiences so we can lower costs and ensure every Michigander can pursue their dreams. Together, I know we can build a better future for all of us.

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