Historic preservation’ plays a role in preserving low income housing

By Dennis Archambault

“Preservation” has long been associated with saving and restoring historic structures such as the old Wayne County building and Fox Theatre, or homes in the city’s historic districts. In some cases, it has been viewed as elitist. In other cases, it has been viewed as a valuable component of placemaking in urban design.

Most recently in Detroit, “preservation” has taken on a humanistic quality: preserving habitat for low income people at risk of homelessness. The City of Detroit’s Preservation Action Plan (https://detroitmi.gov/Portals/0/docs/HousingAndRev/2018/180929_Preservation%20Action%20Plan.pdf) has set a goal of preserving 10,000 units of housing known as “Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing” for “working, aging, low-income, and vulnerable” people in the city. With the homeless rate rising, and incomes for the lower end of the economic scale dropping, housing scarcity contributes to our population health challenges.

News this week of the preservation of “long-abandoned” Saint Rita apartments (https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/02/27/abandoned-saint-rita-apartments-home-homeless/2989268002/) for homeless and extremely low income people (income that doesn’t exceed more than 30 percent of the area median income, or no more than $14,000 annually) is evidence that the city’s preservation policy may be taking hold. As a double benefit, historic preservationists can be pleased that structure, built in the North End in 1916, still has hardwood floors, cherrywood cabinets, and Greek marble in the public spaces. The building’s interior is fully furnished.

This is a remarkable development at a time when federal housing policy is not actively supporting new or preserved housing, and private sector investment is scarce. Also, it’s an indication that real estate developers are looking beyond the projects that are providing upscale living options for the professional class in Midtown and Downtown. Much of the credit goes to the vision of Central City Integrated Health and its CEO Ryan Lepper, as well as local developer Joseph Early. Central City previously restored an apartment building on Charlotte street in Midtown.

Apartment buildings dating back to the period the Saint Rita was built exist across the city. With the vision of non-profit developers and a little more available capital investment, the housing crisis in Detroit could turn around, and with it, one critical social determinant of health.

Dennis Archambault is vice president, Public Affairs, for Authority Health