A vacant Detroit hospital parking lot has officially been traded in for keys and new beginnings. Benjamin O. Davis Veterans Village, a roughly $16 million affordable housing complex named for the nation’s first Black Army general, opened this week and is now welcoming residents into its 50 permanent units for veterans and people with disabilities who have experienced homelessness.
The building sits on a former Holy Cross/St. John Hospital parking lot at 4777 Outer Drive East, next to the Connor Creek Health Center, and includes a 1,300-square-foot community room, two supportive service offices and an on-site barber/beauty shop, according to the City of Detroit. The city also lists walk-in closets, dishwashers and central air in every unit, and the property’s listing on Detroit’s Home Connect portal points would-be tenants to Premier Property Management for leasing details.
For veterans who have been sleeping outside, the shift is immediate and profound. “Relief,” said Quincy Allen, who told WXYZ he had spent five months living on the streets before moving in. Others at the opening praised the Village for combining stable housing with on-site services instead of forcing people to piece together support across town.
The city pegs the total project cost at about $16.4 million, with the financing package built from several sources: $1.4 million in American Rescue Plan funds, $300,000 in HOME-ARP funding and a $10 million construction loan from Citizens Bank, along with additional investments, according to the City of Detroit. Premier Property Management, Walker & Dunlop and Churchill Stateside Group are listed as partners on the development.
From Groundbreaking To Move-In
Construction on Benjamin O. Davis Veterans Village began in November 2023, backed by predevelopment support from local funders, per the Rocket Community Fund. A previous city listing had projected a 2025 lease-up window, but developers say final move-ins started this month as building systems and on-site supportive services came online, and the city’s Home Connect portal now carries the active property listing.
Why This Project Matters
Advocates argue that pairing on-site care with long-term rent support is central to Detroit’s push to end veteran homelessness. Project-based vouchers typically require tenants to contribute about 30% of their adjusted income toward rent, with the subsidy covering the rest, according to HUD, and local reporting by WXYZ notes that units at Benjamin O. Davis Veterans Village are accepting applications now.
