CVS Health investing $11M in affordable housing for Detroit

The affordable project in Brush Park will feature 53 units, with many as low as 30% AMI or below.

2/23/2023

Mayor Mike Duggan, City Council President Mary Sheffield, and CVS Health recently joined developer MHT Housing to celebrate the groundbreakings of two 100% affordable housing developments in two of the city’s hottest up-and-coming neighborhoods, helping to ensure that more Detroiters can afford to live in the communities they want to call home.

The announcement was made at the corner of Winder and Brush streets, the site of MHT’s Brush Park Apartments. This $15-million development will feature 53 affordable units and about 3,800 square feet of commercial space. A mile away, MHT also has started construction on MLK on 2nd, a 33-unit, $9.5-million project that also will feature ground-floor retail, bringing more amenities to not just residents of the building, but all Detroiters who call these neighborhoods home. Out of the combined 86 units across both ongoing developments, 63 will be deeply affordable for those earning 60% area median income or below, with the remainder being available for households earning 80% AMI or below.

The $11 million investment by CVS Health, the sole equity investor, is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to address housing insecurities and the disparities that may be holding people back from achieving their best health, particularly among those in historically marginalized and underserved communities. With the addition of Brush Park Apartments, CVS Health has now invested $35 million in affordable housing across Michigan to date, building and rehabbing more than 2,600 units statewide.

“Social determinants of health have a major impact on health outcomes, especially for historically marginalized communities,” said Joneigh Khaldun, vice president and chief health equity officer at CVS Health. “That’s why addressing social determinants such as housing is an important part of our overall health equity strategy. By helping to provide affordable housing in communities like Detroit, we are giving people an opportunity to live healthier and helping to make a meaningful and lasting impact on their lives.”

“Both of these projects are replacing vacant land with affordable housing, and showing how, as we build our neighborhoods back, that we are creating opportunity for all Detroiters,” Mayor Duggan said. “We are creating and preserving quality, affordable housing in neighborhoods all over Detroit, so that more Detroiters have the ability to live in whichever part of the city, no matter their income.”

MHT is one of the largest builders and owners of affordable housing in metro Detroit, with more than 30 years of development experience. MHT, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, also serves as the general partner or managing member of nearly 6,500 elderly and family units, a substantial portion of which are located in the city of Detroit.

“MHT is proud to be able to provide high quality, affordable units in neighborhoods that are experiencing tremendous growth,” said Van Fox, president of MHT Housing. “Brush Park Apartments and MLK on Second are creating homes where lower-income Detroiters can have access to amenities and neighborhoods where they otherwise might not have been able to afford to live in quality housing.”

Here are details of the two projects that are now under construction:

Brush Park Apartments

Located at 269 Winder St., this four-story development will combine with three other adjacent vacant parcels — 2515 Brush, 281 Winder, 291 Winder in District 5. The Brush Park Apartments sit a block away from the much-celebrated City Modern development and will bring affordability and further density to this neighborhood just north of downtown and in the heart of the city’s entertainment and sports district.

The project will have three studios and 50 one-bedroom units, with 30 of those units being set aside as deeply affordable at 60% AMI and below. The development will offer 10 units at 30% AMI, 20 at 40% AMI and 23 at or below 80% AMI, which equates to an AMI average of 55% for the overall development. Of the 10 units for those earning up to 30% AMI, eight will have Project-Based Vouchers through the Detroit Housing Commission, ensuring that those residents won’t pay more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities. It is slated to open in early 2024.

The project will feature first-class amenities for its residents. Each unit will feature energy-efficient appliances including washers and dryers, dishwashers, frost-free refrigerators, ovens, ranges with hoods, disposals, microwaves and central air-conditioning. The development also features a combination of private parking, with an attached parking lot, and street parking, allowing for adequate parking available to meet both the resident’s needs and the city’s requirements. In addition, MHT has worked closely with the City of Detroit, the local Historic District Commission and other local partners to build and construct the property in accordance with neighborhood features and local design requirements.

The Brush Park location is within a few blocks of the arenas and stadiums for all four of Detroit’s professional sports teams, as well as the city’s theater district. Due to its exceptional location, residents of Brush Park Apartments will have access to a full-service grocery store, pharmacy, general practice doctor’s office, clinic and park, among other amenities. Further, the property will have access to all of the city’s public transit options. In addition to the amenities and opportunities, more than a billion dollars in additional investment is currently planned for the immediate area, making it one of the most in-demand locations in the city.

The project received a 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit allocation from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority in the February 2021 funding round. The development also was made possible through financing from Bedrock, a construction loan from Fifth Third Bank and tax credit equity from CVS Health and CREA.

“The funding from Bedrock and CVS Health is important, not just for the construction of the Brush Park Apartments, but because it allows the city to invest its finite housing resources into developing additional affordable housing in another part of the city,” said Julie Schneider, director of the Detroit Housing & Revitalization Department. “On behalf of the city, I would like to thank MHT Housing for continuing to build and preserve affordable housing in neighborhoods across Detroit, but also to the funders who stepped up to make this project possible.”

MLK on 2nd

MHT Housing also is developing MLK on 2nd, which is being built in partnership with Nassar Companies. This will be a four-story, mixed-use, affordable apartment building located at 3515 Second Ave. and feature 33 affordable, one-bedroom units, as well as about 1,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space facing Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

All units at MLK on 2nd will be restricted to those earning 60% area median income or less, with 12 apartments restricted to 40% AMI. Five more apartments will receive Project-Based Vouchers through the Detroit Housing Commission, with those residents paying no more than 30% of their income. MHT also will cover the utilities for the residents in the 17 deeply affordable apartments (12 at 40% AMI and five PBVs). Like the development in Brush Park, MLK on 2nd is expected to open in early 2024 and will offer affordable units on a centrally located, though vacant, site.

Each unit will feature energy-efficient appliances, including washers and dryers, dishwashers, frost-free refrigerators, ovens, disposals, microwaves and central air-conditioning. The building is centrally located between Woodward Avenue and the Lodge, and between the campus of Wayne State University and downtown. This means residents will have a number of restaurants, public transit options, stores and more within walking distance.

The Detroit Housing & Revitalization Department has invested $1.27 million in federal HOME dollars into the project, and the development also received a 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit allocation from the February 2021 funding round through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. The development also received a construction loan from Fifth Third Bank and tax credit equity from CREA.

Brush Park Apartments

MLK on 2nd

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