Retired paramedic serving in Legislature says home maintenance makes neighborhoods safer

State Rep. Steve Frisbie, of Pennfield, is celebrating the inclusion of his $750,000 legislative spending request in the fiscal year 2027 state budget to help rehabilitate homes in Battle Creek’s Washington Heights neighborhood, improving safety, preserving homeownership, and strengthening the community for years to come.

The funding will support the Washington Heights Healthy Homeownership initiative, which will bring approximately 35 homes up to code. The improvements will help protect residents, increase property values, and encourage continued investment in one Battle Creek’s most economically challenged neighborhoods.

“This investment will help homeowners make needed repairs, improve neighborhood safety, and preserve the character of a community that means so much to the people who call it home,” said Frisbie, a retired local paramedic. “I’ve been impressed by the efforts of the Healthy Homeownership initiative and that’s why I was so eager to fight to bolster it with funds from our state budget. Battle Creek taxpayers deserve to see their state tax dollars invested in their own community.”

Washington Heights is home to many working families and seniors on fixed incomes who cannot afford major home repairs. By helping homeowners address code and safety issues, the project will strengthen the neighborhood while protecting residents’ long-term investment in their homes.

“Strong neighborhoods start with strong homes,” Frisbie said. “I’ve gotten to know every Battle Creek neighborhood very well in my years as a paramedic, and I’ve also seen some avoidable accidents due to overdue home maintenance. This will make a real difference for families, help protect vulnerable residents, and support the continued revitalization of Washington Heights.”

Frisbie said that the state funds were not simply handed over for this project, it took significant efforts from his team at the state capital. Last year, the Legislature adopted a new process for individual lawmaker spending requests for their local communities within the state budget. It’s more rigorous and publicly transparent to ensure no fraudulent or wasteful spending items slip through the cracks. Overall, this rigorous process saved the state more than $800 million, preventing any tax increases or raiding of the state’s emergency fund, which Frisbie said some Lansing lawmakers were fighting for.

“I’m proud of my team’s work to secure these funds – it wasn’t easy,” said Frisbie. “While I support efforts to ensure local spending requests are made transparently, it means we had to really fight for this. It’s like I’ve been saying since before I even took office – the state doesn’t need to tax more to fund what matters, we just need to prioritize funding for projects that really make a difference. I know this one will.”  

The funding is included in the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 state budget, which begins Oct. 1 of this year. The bipartisan plan was signed into law last week.