The city is looking to strike a blow against blight with a $1.7 million deal to buy 400 units of public housing.
Among the units in a proposal with the Detroit Housing Commission are 127 single-family homes, the Lee Plaza and Woodland Apartments, as part of a vision that could ultimately create more housing and rental assistance for low-income residents, if the sale is approved by Detroit City Council this week.
The Lee Plaza and Woodland Apartment buildings would be transferred to the Detroit Building Authority and the single-family properties would be moved to the Detroit Land Bank Authority. While many of the vacant, single-family homes couldn’t be sold under Detroit Housing Commission guidelines, the proposal would allow a majority of the homes, located in neighborhoods including Fitzgerald, University District, Bagley, and Grandmont-Rosedale, to be auctioned or demolished
“These homes are often the last vacant properties left on these vibrant blocks,” says Mayor Mike Duggan. “Now we’re going to sell them, rehab them and the residents on these blocks are going to get new neighbors. We’re bringing new families into the neighborhoods and eliminating blight. This is a win for everybody involved.”
If the deal is approved, the city would market Lee Plaza, which has been vacant 20 years, and Woodland Apartments for redevelopment with city funding opportunities. Twenty percent of units in the multi-family buildings would be slated for affordable housing, and the city would offer design and preservation guidelines for the historic units.
The purchase would increase access to rental assistance for low-income Detroiters earning 30 to 50 percent of the area median income, which is determined by a household salary and number of residents per household. The deal would also strengthen the Detroit Housing Commission’s assistance tor provide Section 8 rental assistance vouchers, according to city officials.
Proposed deal could boost Detroit’s low-income housing stock added by E.B. Allen on
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