Housing Master Plan

Opening Doors To First-Time Homebuyers Among Underserved Populations

This time on the BC CIty Connection Housing Podcast, REALTOR Talia Champlin joins the city's Darcy Schmitt to discuss what “equitable pathways to homeownership” really means and why the hardest part is often stepping onto the path in the first place.  Episode...

Turning Blight Into Affordable, Accessible Housing

This time on the BC CIty Connection housing focus, Darcy Schmitt and Krista Trout-Edwards share how the city and the Calhoun County Land Bank align land, zoning, and neighborhood input to turn vacant parcels into infill homes.  The discussion maps the shift in...

How Neighborhood Planning Councils Shape Battle Creek Decisions

On this episode of BC City Connection: Exploring how Neighborhood Planning Councils (NPCs) give Battle Creek residents a structured voice on policing, code, planning, and development, and why diverse, new members are vital.  CommissionerJessica Lacosse and Helen...

Housing: 2026 Housing Master Plan

Over the course of 2026, the BC CIty Connection will include some conversations specifically focused on housing in the city. In the first of those episodes, Planning Supervisor Darcy Schmitt lays out how Battle Creek tackles the housing shortage with mixed-use zoning,...