The Gilbert Family Foundation and North Corktown Neighborhood Association (NCNA) today announced Tomorrow’s Housing Innovation Showcase (THIS), a new effort to show the potential for factory-built housing to provide high-quality and attainable homes for Detroiters.
The city offers plenty of vacant land for new housing, with the bulk of it owned by the city, Detroit Land Bank Authority, and private individuals and companies.
Right now, new home construction is expensive, but if manufactured housing takes hold, prices will drop considerably.
To begin the process, NCNA has begun to engage residents in its plans, which will use future-forward sustainable production methods that have proven successful in other U.S cities.
Tomorrow’s Housing Innovation Showcase will work with up to nine different manufacturers, each of which will build one modern, energy-efficient home in North Corktown.
NCNA will establish a community land trust (CLT) to manage the project, ensuring the homes are developed in alignment with the community’s needs and that local renters and first-time homebuyers have the first opportunity to own the homes. The parcels used for the project have been vacant for decades.
“For years, we’ve heard from our residents that North Corktown needs diverse housing options, and this project is one solution to address the housing gaps,” says Tricia Talley, executive director of NCNA.
The Gilbert Family Foundation’s adds to the organization’s various investments, including initiatives like the Detroit Tax Relief Fund, the Detroit Eviction Defense Fund, and the Detroit Home Repair Fund, all geared toward enhancing economic growth and housing stability for the people of Detroit.
“At one time in our history, Detroit built more housing than any city in the world, but today, Detroit lacks quality, affordable housing solutions,” says Laura Grannemann, executive director of the Gilbert Family Foundation.
“This investment will showcase the next generation of housing solutions, putting Detroit at the center of housing innovation and attracting future jobs and investment to our city. We are grateful for this opportunity to lay the groundwork for a more stable housing ecosystem alongside our partners at North Corktown Neighborhood Association.”
NCNA has engaged Tribe Development, a real estate development firm focused on creating holistic community solutions, to facilitate community engagement meetings through mid-2024.
Residents are expected to play a critical role in defining the direction of the Showcase by providing feedback on the proposed CLT and its governance, design considerations for the homes, and other important areas.
The factory-built homes will be unveiled in late 2024. The location, investment costs, and price ranges of the homes was not available.
For more information, visit northcorktown.org or gilbertfamilyfoundation.org/.
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