Project Background

Over the last eight weeks, I have had the privilege of partnering with MACC Development, a Community Development Corporation (CDC) on the Eastside of Detroit. The project explored the question: How might we enable MACC Housing with the tools to develop a neighborhood block for affordable housing?

Given the development happening in Islandview and West Village, this project sought to explore the role MACC Development might have in affordable housing within Islandview and Pingree Park. The goal of this project was to help MACC Development understand the process for a Community Development Corporation to acquire land and the process for developing affordable housing.

When Things Don’t Go Quite as Planned

For this project, I started with testing the idea of how might MACC Development purchase property near The Commons, MACC’s coffee and laundromat, with the purpose of developing an affordable housing development. I expected to research the process and hand over the how-to-steps. However, the more I dove into the project, the more I learned about the challenges of communication gaps within the community, the complexities of affordable housing, and the need for a development road map.

The insights of the project were inspired by the following organizations that took the time to respond to my many questions:

  • City Form Detroit
  • Central Detroit Christian
  • Develop Detroit
  • Detroit Land Bank Authority
  • Detroit Planning & Development Department
  • Detroit Housing & Housing Revitalization Department
  • Eastside Community Network
  • Midtown Detroit, Inc.
  • U-SNAP-BAC

Looking to the Future

As a result of hearing the insights and lessons learned from these organizations that have successfully developed affordable housing, the project went from a specific how-to research project to pulling up high level to ask MACC Development the strategic questions to define the role of MACC Housing in the community, identify the housing needs of the community, and develop a housing development plan and communication strategy.

The needs of the 48214 community are great, but in the midst of all the development happening in the area, MACC Development desires to be a responsible CDC and care for its community. I look forward to seeing how MACC Development develops its housing strategy and how it will continue to invest in the community.