Taubman College Research by Taubman College Professor Emerita Margaret Dewar and Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning Lan Deng was cited in a Bridge magazine story about how expiring tax credits provide a threat to low-income housing in Detroit. Dewar also was quoted in the story.
Since there’s little or no profit in low-income housing, tax credits incentivize developers to set aside as much as 40 percent of units in their buildings for households that earn less than $42,540, which is 60 percent of the area’s annual median income. As new development costs escalate and a large number of federal tax credits are expiring — include a disproportionate number in the trendy Midtown and Corktown neighborhoods — builders, owners. and developers may be even less likely to maintain low rents.
Dewar and Deng found that Detroit needs at least 21,000 more housing units for low-income families. This research is helping city officials and community organizers find solutions to ensure affordable housing for low-income Detroit residents.
To learn more about Dewar and Deng’s research and the state of affordable housing in Detroit, read the Bridge magazine story at bridgemi.com/detroit-journalism-cooperative/poor-people-risk-eviction-tax-credits-expire-and-detroit-revives.
