New senior housing development opens in Piety Hill

An $18 million development has finished construction along Woodward Avenue, bringing 60 new affordable apartments to Detroit seniors. The Rev. Dr. Jim Holley Residences are now open in Piety Hill. 

MHT Housing led the affordable housing initiative along with Rev. Holley’s Historic Little Rock Baptist Church. The one-bedroom apartments will be offered to those making at or below 50 percent area median income (AMI), or less than $33,150 a year. Residents will pay no more than $903 per month, and vouchers ensure that no more than 30 percent of residents' monthly income will go towards rent.

The development sits at Woodward and Taylor, across from the Little Rock Baptist Church. Piety Hill is in between New Center and Boston Edison, across Woodward from the North End. The neighborhood has seen many new developments in the last few years.

“The Holley Residences address a key need in our city for quality, senior affordable housing,” said Julie Schneider, director of Detroit's Housing & Revitalization Department. “We are committed to working with developers across the city, like MHT Housing and Rev. Holley, to create accessible and quality housing opportunities for all our residents, including our seniors.”

The energy efficient apartments are handicap accessible and a community room includes a full kitchen. The development has parking itself, and it's close to a bus stop and a few blocks away from the Qline.

The development was supported through $1.39 million in low-income housing tax credits from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, vouchers through the Detroit Housing Commission, and $1.8 million in HOME funding through Detroit's HRD.

“I am thrilled to celebrate the opening of Reverend Dr. Jim Holley Residences – one of the first 4%/9% LIHTC developments to be completed in Michigan. We are so thankful for support from the City of Detroit, MSHDA, Stratford Capital, and the Detroit Housing Commission for their assistance in bringing this much needed development to fruition,” said Van Fox, President of MHT Housing, Inc. “To be able to provide 60 units of deep targeted affordable housing to our seniors in a brand-new state of the art building, right here on Woodward is incredible. Big congratulations to Reverend Dr. Jim Holley and the Historic Little Rock Baptist Church, we are thankful for their partnership.”