Detroit Housing Commission

1301 East Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan 48207

Detroit Housing Commission is a Public Housing Agency that participates in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Public Housing, Homeownership Voucher, Family Self-Sufficiency, Section 8 Project-Based Voucher (PBV), Moderate Rehabilitation, and Family Unification Program (FUP) programs. As of November 30th, 2020, Detroit Housing Commission has 3 waiting lists that are open now or opening soon.

The Charles Diggs Townhomes, John W. Smith Townhomes, Algonquin, Greenbrooke, State Fair, Harriet Tubman Apartments and Sojourner Truth Townhomes Multi-Family Public Housing Waiting List has opened and is accepting applications now. The waiting list is scheduled to close on February 28th, 2021. The Forest Park, Warren West, Riverbend Apartments, Sheridan Place I & II and Woodbridge Senior Village Senior Public Housing Waiting List has opened and is accepting applications now. The waiting list is scheduled to close on February 28th, 2021. The Project-Based Voucher Waiting List is open indefinitely.

Detroit Housing Commission serves Lapeer County, Macomb County, Oakland County, St Clair County and Wayne County.

About Detroit Housing Commission

HCV Portability Status

As of 11/30/2020, it is not known if Detroit Housing Commission is either absorbing or billing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher portability requests for porting in. Learn more about porting Housing Choice Vouchers to a new area here.

About the Detroit Housing Commission Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

As of the HUDs most recent Voucher Management System report, Detroit Housing Commission manages 4,683 active Housing Choice Vouchers.

The following is a summary of the types of vouchers managed and the monthly costs of each as of December 31st, 2019:

Household Characteristics of Voucher Holders for Detroit Housing Commission

Waiting List and Tenancy

According to the 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households database, the housing authority's voucher program has an annual turnover of 11% having issued approximately 459 vouchers in the past year. The average voucher holder has received housing benefits for 9 years and 8 months. According to the 2016 PSH database, persons who were issued a voucher in the preceding 12 months waited an average of 15 months on the waiting list¹.

Income Characteristics

According to 2016 Q4 Picture of Subsidized Households data, the average voucher household contains 2.6 persons and has a household income of $12,944 per year. 94% of households were very low income (VLI) and 74% were extremely low income (ELI). 36% of households had wages as a major source of income, 2% of households had welfare (TANF, General Assistance or Public Assistance) as their primary source of income, and 60% of households had other income (Social Security, Disability or Pension) as their major source of income.

Heads of Household Characteristics

2% of households were headed by a person 24 years old or less, 65% were headed by a person 25 to 49 years old, 20% were headed by a person 51 to 60 years old, and 12% were headed by a person 62 years old or older. In addition, 1% of households were headed by a person 85 years old or older.

56% of households included children, 3% of which had two adults in the household. 54% of households with children have a female head of household. 90% of all households were headed by a female.

97% of all voucher households were headed by minorities with 95% of all heads of households being Black and 0% being Hispanic.

Of all households participating in the Detroit Housing Commission Housing Choice Voucher program, 19% include at least one person with a disability. 29% of households with a head of household 61 years or less were headed by a person with a disability. 75% of households headed by someone 62 or older were headed by a person with a disability.

Bedroom Size and Overhousing

15% of voucher holders reside in a home with zero or 1 bedroom, 24% with 2 bedrooms and 61% with 3 or more bedrooms. 31% of voucher recipients are considered overhoused, meaning they occupy a rental unit larger than their family size requires.

Rent, Assistance, and Utility Allowances

The average monthly tenant contribution to rent by Detroit Housing Commission voucher holders in 2016 was $326 and the average monthly HUD expenditure per voucher holder was $659. The average utility allowance across all voucher recipients is $174.

1. This Picture of Subsidized Households data field is the average wait time of those who received a voucher in the preceding 12 months. Due to special voucher programs like VASH, recent waiting list purges, or waiting list preferences the average wait time can vary significantly from one year to the next and it is entirely possible many current applicants on the waiting list have been waiting for assistance for far longer.