Why is new housing in Detroit rarely multi-family residential?

[maverick1]

I've lurked here for a while have finally decided to come out my shell. lol. Maybe it's just me but most of the new housing I see in Detroit are single-family homes. From what I understand about the individual median income and family median income of the residents of Detroit the building of new single-family homes seems out of place. New multi-family residential buildings such as apartments, row houses, etc. make more sense. Am I wrong for thinking this? Is there a reason why new single-family homes are built over apartments in Detroit?

[GUSHI]

Single family homes don't really make sense to me, even though I live in one right now, I remember when I was younger we lived in a duplex in detroit, my uncle downstairs w his family and us upstairs, duplexs make more sense due to having a source for rental income to help pay your Mortgage, I think people enjoyed being close to family members more then, if I was to relocate to a different state I would look for a duplex, in my case my parents have a 20 year age difference and if something was to happen to my father I would not wanna put my mother in a nursing home, either a duplex or a home w a in-law suite/finished basement w separate entrances, in my furture.

[Novine]

Are you talking about within Detroit city limits?

[maverick1]

Are you talking about within Detroit city limits?

Yes within Detroit city limits.

[mikefmich]

In this day & age? On some fronts, I would imagine the city is praying to fill up space.

[SteveJ]

I don't think Detroit is building any low income single family homes...

[DetroitPlanner]

I'd disagree, from the Fort Shelby to Herman Gardens its almost exclusively multifamily.
http://www.semcog.org/Data/Apps/permits.report.cfm

[maverick1]

I'd disagree, from the Fort Shelby to Herman Gardens its almost exclusively multifamily.
http://www.semcog.org/Data/Apps/permits.report.cfm

I'm wrong. My perception is not reality. So maybe it just looks that way. I don't see high-rise apartments or short apartments being buillt. I will say most of the most of the multi-families I've seen built are usually townhouses which still doesn't seem like it fits the demographics.

[Zacha341]

Welcome to Detroityes maverick1!

[professorscott]

In Detroit we build single family homes because land is inexpensive. Big apartment buildings make sense when land is precious, which it's not around here, or when you want to create dense, walkable, transit-friendly neighborhoods, which has never been a priority in southeast Michigan.

[Hypestyles]

In Detroit we build single family homes because land is inexpensive. Big apartment buildings make sense when land is precious, which it's not around here, or when you want to create dense, walkable, transit-friendly neighborhoods, which has never been a priority in southeast Michigan.

I want it to be a priority... but it's still not

[Hermod]

I want it to be a priority... but it's still not

Economics 101: "A want or desire does not equal an economic demand on the market."

In other words, "lets see the color of your money."

[Detroitnerd]

Economics 101: "A want or desire does not equal an economic demand on the market."

In other words, "lets see the color of your money."

Oh, yes. I'll build my transit system with my own money.

Right after you pay for your freeway...

[Novine]

You can run a residential building permit report from SEMCOG. It's a mixed report from Detroit. Depending on the year, single family new construction has been higher than multi-family. As others have noted, there's so much vacant land in Detroit, there's no economic push for apartments that you see in more urbanized area where you can't make the economics work for anything but high density housing.

http://www.semcog.org/Data/Apps/permits.cfm

[p69rrh51]

I want it to be a priority... but it's still not

We did have that with the pre WWII neighborhoods along with very good transit although even then they were mostly single family homes. Then the freeways were built the trolleys eliminated and cheap land in the suburbs which led to the spawl we have now. I doubt that will ever be a priorty. There are a few areas of metro Detroit where you can find something similar to what you are looking for.

[CLAUDE G]

In Detroit we build single family homes because land is inexpensive. Big apartment buildings make sense when land is precious, which it's not around here, or when you want to create dense, walkable, transit-friendly neighborhoods, which has never been a priority in southeast Michigan.

Exactly....

[Detroitnerd]

I imagine it also has to do with single-family homes being more profitable for the contractors. Or also the fact that our mentality and skill-set have been confined to single-family homes for so long that its what contractors, zoning boards, governments, et al. know.

[Wesley Mouch]

I imagine it also has to do with single-family homes being more profitable for the contractors. Or also the fact that our mentality and skill-set have been confined to single-family homes for so long that its what contractors, zoning boards, governments, et al. know.

Not so much out skill-set, although that's true. Mostly our desire-set. A single-family home is the 'American Dream'.

The most perverse example of our collective delusion is the 'affordable housing' initiative. We dream of single-family homes for our less fortunate. So we subsidize it. Instead, we should have been encouraging smaller and more dense housing.

[detroitsgwenivere]

Hello Maverick!

I must say that in all the years Ive spoken to young Detroiters about their plans for the future, never once did I hear them say they dreamed about living in anything other than a single family home, besides a luxury penthouse or loft maybe. It appears to me that the young people associate duplexes and high rises with low income [[i.e. projects). I know that the older generations, including my folks, have generally associated owning a SF home with privacy and freedom.

I know if I buy a home, it's not going to be some overpriced condo where you get half the material cost of a SF, shoddy quality [[have you seen the crumbled stairs on those Brush Park Crosswinds Condos?), and the bible thick book of by-laws that comes with it.

[maverick1]

Hello Maverick!

I must say that in all the years Ive spoken to young Detroiters about their plans for the future, never once did I hear them say they dreamed about living in anything other than a single family home, besides a luxury penthouse or loft maybe. It appears to me that the young people associate duplexes and high rises with low income [[i.e. projects). I know that the older generations, including my folks, have generally associated owning a SF home with privacy and freedom.

I know if I buy a home, it's not going to be some overpriced condo where you get half the material cost of a SF, shoddy quality [[have you seen the crumbled stairs on those Brush Park Crosswinds Condos?), and the bible thick book of by-laws that comes with it.

Thank you for welcoming me. I own and live in a home in Detroit. But I find that amongst my friends that want an apartment in the city outside of downtown their options are limited. You have more options as far as renting a house in Detroit than you have to renting an apartment. I believe 70%-80% of residential property in Detroit are single family homes.

[detroitsgwenivere]

I find that amongst my friends that want an apartment in the city outside of downtown their options are limited. You have more options as far as renting a house in Detroit than you have to renting an apartment. I believe 70%-80% of residential property in Detroit are single family homes.

It is true that quality apartments are harder to find the farther out you go. The weird thing is, if you venture into the near west side, along any part of Woodward, or along the Blvd/ New Center area, there are the most beautiful abandoned apartment buildings you ever saw just sitting there, waiting to be redeveloped. I assume the costs of renovation have yet to meet up with demand. To redo a costly 20-40 unit historical building means you have to have 20-40 people or couples willing to pay the higher rents, which people like myself just can't afford right now.

Some posters believe we don't have a shortage of affordable housing, but after completing almost 1400 home audits in The D/Hp/ Hamtown I must concur that finding rentals that dont exceed 40% of ones income are indeed hard to find. The expenses that accompany these older homes [[mostly the heat and water bills) really adds up. Most need weatherization, updated HVAC, new roofs, and landlords that give a damn about anything other than picking up the rent check.

My hope is that the apartment availability situation changes with the construction of the M1. Once the ink is dry, there will be more incentive to create dense housing.

[royce]

[QUOTE=detroitsgwenivere;312653]It is true that quality apartments are harder to find the farther out you go. The weird thing is, if you venture into the near west side, along any part of Woodward, or along the Blvd/ New Center area, there are the most beautiful abandoned apartment buildings you ever saw just sitting there, waiting to be redeveloped. I assume the costs of renovation have yet to meet up with demand. To redo a costly 20-40 unit historical building means you have to have 20-40 people or couples willing to pay the higher rents, which people like myself just can't afford right now...

I agree totally, Detroitsgwenivere, about the number of beautifully abandoned apartment buildings along Woodward. It made sense to put apartments close to Woodward so that the many workers needed at the Highland Park Model T plant and retail and office workers downtown, could quickly get to their destinations by walking a few hundred feet and catching the Woodward streetcar. Giving the fact that many folks working these jobs were new residents to Detroit, it made sense to build apartments because it would be awhile before they would earn enough money to save and then buy a single family house and move out of the apartments.

With today's flucuating job market and the idea that people might have two-three careers before they retire, as a young person, it would be better to live in an apartment than trying to buy a house, despite falling home prices. Also, with many young people wanting to pursue more leisurely activities, owning and taking care of a house isn't something that many are desiring. With this shift in attitudes, it would make more sense to build more apartments or rehab the ones we have. Like Detroitsgwenivere said, if M1 Rail finally happens, those abandoned apartment buildings along Woodward would become quite valuable.

[Detroitnerd]

Well, when you're talking about existing construction, yeah. The city of Detroit is exceptional among American cities for its preponderance of single-family homes. It has to do with the way the city exploded after the invention of the automobile, and the earning power of autoworkers. Of course, now, it is something of a handicap, as apartments are more affordable, less work and closer to the action, and the existing homes can be dinky and way off the beaten path.

[Detroitnerd]

Well, there have been some years when total building permits for Detroit were in the double digits. And the city keeps pouring money into subsidizing demolitions, so it's not as dire as it seems from the map.

[Pam]

Maverick, check out the Palmer Park thread for a discussion of rehab of old apartment buildings.