Major project on Detroit church grounds aims to reduce affordable housing deficit

The goal to revitalize a school on the St. Mary of Redford Catholic Church grounds in Detroit is to help dent the deficit of affordable housing in Detroit. 

In Detroit and across the state, projects have been popping up to address the housing shortage, such as the multimillion-dollar rehab project at the church on Grand River.

"I think what is a misconception is who needs affordable housing-- it's really a number of middle-income Americans," said Aubrey McFarlane, the president and CEO of Volunteers of America Michigan. 

CBS News Detroit dug into the numbers and found that affordable housing costs should take up to 30% of a person's income, according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Anything higher is considered cost-burdened. 

"We have folks that have worked for Ford Motor Company for their entire life and still can't afford to get an apartment out in the community," said McFarlane.

Data analyzed by the Detroit Justice Center and published in 2022 found that about 61% of Detroit renters pay above that 30% threshold. Part of the problem is a lack of affordable units. 

"The goal really is to provide these units to individuals and families in the city of Detroit that are struggling to help them achieve permanency in housing," she said. 

Work on the old high school building is already underway to transform classrooms that sat empty for decades. Volunteers of America Michigan expects to have 60-plus affordable units. McFarlane said people in the new units will have access to medical, dental and other wraparound services. 

"We are acutely aware that permanent supportive housing is under some scrutiny right now. What we know, and we have evidence of, is that a program like this can be successful," she said. 

The apartment units are expected to be move-in ready in the middle of 2027.