DHC Public Housing Guide

Summer 2021

In 1933, the City of Detroit established the Detroit Housing Commission (“DHC”) under the Michigan Housing Facilities Act. Throughout the DHC’s 75 year history, DHC’s mission has been to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing for the low and moderate-income people that it serves.  DHC is the largest owner of rental housing in the City of Detroit, providing approximately 4,000 housing units for seniors and families.  DHC is fortunate to have recently secured an ambitious and decorated CEO in Sandra Henriquez, former CEO of the Boston Housing Authority and Obama administration appointee. Her stated goal is to transform DHC into a performance-based organization, one both results-oriented, and accountable to its residents. 

Our team was tasked with creating a stronger bond between DHC tenants and administration, uplifting the stories of its residents and employees, foregrounding tenant advocacy, and developing a platform which facilitates open communication between all stakeholders.  In response, we produced a legible guide aimed at demystifying the DHC and its processes, empowering residents through easy access to relevant information.  Additionally, we developed a preliminary strategy for resident-to-resident and DHC-to-resident engagement.

Community Partners
Detroit Housing Commission (DHC)

Student Team
Ryan Dowdle
Chen Huang
Camilla Lizundia
Judith Mendoza
Simon Rivers

Faculty Mentors
Neal Robinson

To access our full housing guide, visit this link.
For more information about the Detroit Housing Commission, visit this link.