Click the video below for a recap of the groundbreaking event.
“There’s an urgent need for more affordable housing across Michigan, and we’ve made it our focus to help meet that need with bold, collaborative solutions,” said Ryan Hertz, CEO of Lighthouse. “We are proud to break ground on these two projects in the city we call home — as we continue to expand access to housing, dignity, and opportunity for all.”
The groundbreaking comes amid an affordable housing crisis in Michigan, where an estimated 190,000-unit deficit in affordable housing has created considerable strain for low-income residents according to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) – especially those struggling to afford rent or mortgages amid rising housing costs and stagnant wages.
Auburn Place will deliver 54 brand-new rental units in a modern five-story building, while Beacon Place will renovate 28 apartments at 101 Mechanic Street and 12 townhomes at a nearby site adjacent to Auburn Place. Beacon Place is a redevelopment of Lighthouse’s first multi-family affordable housing development project, Beacon Square & Townhomes, dating back to 2008. Units there will be updated and modernized.
“These projects reflect what’s possible when public and private partners come together with urgency and purpose,” Hertz added. “We’re building more than housing, we’re building community resilience.”
All units will be affordable, with rents subsidized based on tenant income – meaning residents will pay no more than one-third of their gross income toward rent. A portion of the apartments are designated for supportive housing, serving residents with disabilities.
Auburn Place and Beacon Place are part of Lighthouse’s growing pipeline of affordable housing projects, now totaling $150 million in real estate development in Detroit and Pontiac, including multiple affordable and supportive housing projects, and an expansion of Lighthouse’s family emergency shelter and main campus.
That figure represents nearly three times the scale of our previous affordable housing development efforts to date. The expanded work is driven by increased internal capacity, strategic partnerships, creative financing, and a deep commitment to meeting both local and statewide needs.
The Pontiac projects follow the start of redevelopment work at Lee Plaza in Detroit, where Lighthouse is part of the development team along with Roxbury Group and Ethos Development Partners. The 16-story building at 2240 W. Grand Boulevard is being transformed into 117 new affordable senior apartments and 65 market-rate apartments, marking Lighthouse’s first major project outside of Oakland County.
