In a collaborative effort that signals a fresh approach to community redevelopment, the City of Detroit, the Archdiocese of Detroit, MHT Housing, Inc., and Citizens recently celebrated the grand opening of the Cathedral Arts Apartments. Located on Detroit's west side, the $19.7 million project offers 53 affordable housing units in the Gateway Community, just north of Boston-Edison. More than just a place to live, this development includes 6,000 square feet of space dedicated to community and commercial use, anchored by the significant addition of the M Training Center, a workforce development facility focused on equipping locals with essential skills for employment in property management and the multifamily housing industry.
As per the City of Detroit's official news website, Mayor Mike Duggan praised the initiative, "This is the city we are creating, where people of all incomes can live in a beautiful new building on Woodward Avenue with an onsite training center to help connect them to paid internships and employment opportunities.” This sentiment echoes the broader agenda of the city's Housing and Revitalization Department, which aims to bolster community development with substantial investment in affordable housing, planning another 3,000 units by 2030.
The M Training Center is envisioned as a pivotal resource in the community, offering hands-on training in various maintenance fields. Funded with a $500,000 capital infusion from Citizens, the center is designed to be a mobile classroom of sorts, replicating different sections of a home, such as kitchens and bathrooms, where students can learn practical skills from electrical work to janitorial services. Participants not only leave with newfound expertise but are also aided with stipends, interview preparation, and resume-building assistance. Currently, the program boasts an enrollment of 22 students.
The housing units, with rent as low as $578 per month, are a mix of Market-rate and Project-Based Vouchers, ensuring tenants spend no more than 30 percent of their income on rent and utilities, a detail provided by the City of Detroit. However, the building is already fully leased, signaling a high demand for the deeply affordable living spaces within the Motor City. A joint venture between MHT Housing Inc. and the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the Cathedral Arts Apartments will be managed by MHT Management, highlighting a unique interplay between for-profit and clerical entities for community benefit.
