Redevelopment of Clement Kern Gardens and former Herman Gardens public housing site among key projects approved thanks to $61M in Low
Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT)
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Detroit PILOT is a tax incentive to support the development of affordable housing
On Tuesday October 29, 2024, Detroit City Council voted to amend the City's local Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) ordinance to expand access to PILOT for affordable housing developers following a recent change to State Law. A PILOT is a tax incentive that calculates property taxes as a percent of rental revenue, instead of tying them to property value. This program is managed by the City of Detroit Housing and Revitalization Department.
Featured Resources:
- PILOT Introductory One Pager
- Applications can be submitted via the Neighborly Platform
- Administrative Rules guiding this program
- Virtual Office Hours via Teams, 1-3pm the first Thursday of each month
- List of Administratively Approved Projects
Review the resources below for more information.
APPLICATION MATERIALS:
- PILOT Application (hosted on Neighborly)
- Pro Forma Template for all applicants (Updated Nov 2025)
- DAH Blight Clearance Request Form for all applicants
- Affordability Agreement Template for housing projects that are not government-aided (Updated Nov 2025)
- Investment Summary
- PILOT Initiation Packet
POLICY RESOURCES:
- PILOT Developer One Pager
- Administrative Rules
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (Updated Oct 2025)
- Process Map
- Final Ordinance As Adopted with Amendments
- PA 239 of 2022 - State Legislation enabling PILOT
TENANT RETENTION AND INCOME VERIFICATION RESOURCES:
- Landlord Guide - Tenant Authorization and Income Verification one-pager
- Tenant Retention Plan Template for occupied housing projects
- HRD Tenant Retention Standards
- HRD PILOT Tenant Retention Policy "Cheat Sheet" for legacy residents of non-government-aided housing projects
- Tenant Authorization Form income verification for tenants in non-government-aided housing projects
- Sample Tenant Communication notice of upcoming PILOT and income verification for non-government-aided housing projects
- Student Verification Form see FAQs for explanation of use
MSHDA RESOURCES:
- MSHDA 2025 Income and Rent Limits
- MSHDA 2025 Region D Utility Schedule (Updated Dec 2025)
- Historical MSHDA Income and Rent Limits
- MSHDA Notice to Assessor - Workforce Housing Affidavit
- MSHDA Notice to Assessor - Government Aided Housing Affidavit
TRAININGS:
- Virtual Office Hours 1-3pm 1st Thursday of the month, starting Feb 2026
- Neighborly Participant Training Video
- Neighborly Getting Started Manual
- PILOT Training Recording - Feb 19 2025
- PILOT Training Slide Deck - Feb 19 2025
- PILOT Initiation Training: MSHDA Certification and Packet Submission Slide Deck - Oct 16 2025
- PILOT Income Verification Training Slide Deck - Dec 18 2025
PRESENTATIONS:
- PILOT BFA Public Hearing Deck - Oct 16 2024
- PILOT Charter-Mandated Meeting Recording - Sep 17 2024
- PILOT Charter-Mandated Meeting Deck - Sep 17 2024
- PILOT Press Release - Sep 17 2024
Ongoing Communication: If you would like to receive updates about the PILOT program as implementation takes place, please sign up to be part of the distribution list here.
