Let’s Build More Housing, Detroit

The City of Detroit is proposing zoning updates to help build more housing, reduce upward pressure on housing costs, and level the playing field for small, local developers.

These updates primarily affect areas in the R2 zoning designation.

Why is Detroit proposing these changes?

1. Make it easier to build housing & help more housing get built.

   Detroit needs at least 1,100 more housing units per year to keep up with demand. When housing is scarce, more people compete for existing homes & prices rise. Building more housing will help reduce upward pressure on housing costs and keep prices lower.

2. Level the playing field for small, local developers and residents to build.  

   Detroit’s 936-page code makes it very challenging to build housing. Most projects require special approval from the City; this gives large developers that can afford attorneys & consultants an advantage over small developers that do not have the same resources.

   These changes will help small developers that typically work in the neighborhoods.

3. Use vacant land as an asset to meet housing needs and build diverse options to serve all residents.

   Meeting Detroit’s housing needs in the years to come will require rebuilding on vacant land, but the zoning code makes it difficult to do so. With these changes, Detroit’s vacant land can be an asset to build infill housing and offer diverse housing options that serve all residents, from young adults to parents to seniors.
    

Which parts of the City have R2 zoning?

What would these changes allow?

1. Allow more types of housing in some districts:
   • In R2: triplexes, quads & townhouses
   • In R2 – R6: accessory dwelling units (i.e., carriage houses)
   • On commercial corridors like Grand River, Warren, etc. (B2, B4): apartment buildings (2-3 stories maximum).
2. Make it easier to rebuild housing on vacant lots by allowing sizing, spacing, and housing types that match earlier homes in the neighborhood
3. Give flexibility on the size of the parking lot in targeted cases (e.g., small businesses, projects with sensible alternative approach), and standardize requirements for multi-family housing citywide.

What community engagement has the City done on this proposal?

• 18 community meetings so far: citywide, district-by-district, and neighborhood-specific
• 8+ more scheduled during the rest of October

How would they affect my district or neighborhood?

Read a district-specific briefing explaining these changes:

• District 1
• District 2
• District 3
• District 4
• District 5
• District 6
• District 7
• Citywide briefing
• Detailed technical briefing
• Proposed ordinance text - version as of 10/2 City Planning Commission hearing