What is Affordable Housing?

Housing is considered affordable when your housing costs do not exceed 30% of your household’s monthly income. For renters, these costs include rent and basic utilities (electric, gas and water).

There are two basic types of affordable rental housing in Detroit:

• Naturally occurring: This type of housing is not government regulated, but is considered affordable to households at market rate because costs amount to less than 30% of their monthly income.
• Regulated: This type of housing is subsidized by government programs to ensure that low-income households do not pay more than 30% of their income on rent, or that rents are restricted at a level that is affordable for low-income households. There are two broad categories of regulated affordable housing:
  • Public Housing: Owned and operated by Detroit Housing Commission.
  • Other regulated housing: Privately owned, but offer affordable rents for low-income tenants. Eligibility requirements vary with each program.