A new four-story apartment building has opened in Detroit's Woodbridge neighborhood, providing 60 new affordable homes for residents. This development, part of the $25.8 million Canfield Parks project, features 40 one-bedroom and 20 two-bedroom units, expanding housing choices for Detroiters.
The City of Detroit announced the opening, framing it as a milestone for a project associated with Woodbridge Neighborhood Development and Cinnaire Solutions. Crain's Detroit Business reports the four-story structure contains the mix of one and two-bedroom apartments. The city stated the project broke ground last year.
Affordable-housing developments throughout Detroit commonly determine rents using the area median income (AMI) formula. BridgeDetroit reports that nearly every affordable housing project in the city relies on this standard. For an individual household, 80% of the AMI translates to an annual income of $44,000. For a four-person household, this income threshold rises to $62,800, according to analysis from the outlet.
BridgeDetroit's reporting also highlights a specific issue with this system: Detroit's AMI calculation relies on the broader Detroit-Livonia-Warren metro area. This larger metropolitan area includes suburban incomes that can be $20,000 to $40,000 higher than the median income of Detroit residents. This disparity, the outlet notes, can result in some units, despite being designated as affordable, still being financially out of reach for lower-income Detroiters, even as new developments are presented as serving the community. Specific income limits, a rent schedule, or leasing details for the Woodbridge project have not been confirmed. It also remains unclear how the occupancy rates or waitlists for these new units compare to other affordable developments across the city.
The new Woodbridge units are part of a broader trend of affordable-housing projects advancing across Detroit this year. In the Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood, the Jefferson Avenue Apartments project is underway, slated to add 52 affordable units. Fox 2 Detroit reports that these units will offer rents as low as $351 per month, serving residents who earn 30%, 50%, and 60% of the area median income, alongside providing supportive services. Construction on this project is currently in progress and is expected to conclude in 2027.
Near Eastern Market, a 78-unit affordable development known as The Hive on Russell, opened on October 2. MLive reports that units at The Hive are reserved for households earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income, which roughly corresponds to $33,000 to $63,000 annually. The city contributed approximately $4.5 million towards this development. This total includes $4 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding and an additional $445,000 from Detroit's Affordable Housing Development and Preservation Fund, as reported by MLive. Develop Detroit has also announced plans for a second phase at this location, which would introduce 70 more affordable apartments specifically for seniors.
Elsewhere, the Henry Street Apartments project, located in Detroit's Cass-Henry neighborhood, has transformed seven historic buildings into residential housing and community space. According to CBS News Detroit, this development, once finished, will feature 170 residential units. Of these, 49% will be designated as affordable housing for households earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income. Additional residential buildings connected to the nearby District Detroit development are also anticipated to open through 2027 as construction on their remaining phases continues.
Collectively, these ongoing and completed projects indicate an expanding pipeline for affordable housing across various Detroit neighborhoods. This expansion occurs even as discussions persist regarding how affordability is truly defined and who ultimately benefits from these initiatives. For the Woodbridge community, the completed Canfield Parks building represents the latest contribution to this citywide effort, adding dozens of new homes to a neighborhood recognized for its historic housing stock.
