Housing Accessibility: Needs & Opportunities in Detroit Report

The City of Detroit Housing & Revitalization Department’s Policy Development & Implementation Division partnered with Detroit Disability Power and The Kelsey to provide a review of accessible housing needs and opportunities in Detroit. The report combines federal and local data, resident and housing practitioner perspectives, and strategies to enhance Detroit’s accessible housing stock. The findings outline how Detroit can strengthen policies, programs, and design standards to better meet the needs of residents with disabilities.

Text on image reads, “Housing Accessibility: Needs & Opportunities in Detroit. August 2025. Housing & Revitalization Department, Policy Development & Implementation Division.” An image of an entrance to an apartment building is visible behind the text. The City of Detroit’s logo is in the lower right corner.

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Text on image reads, “Housing Accessibility: Needs & Opportunities in Detroit. August 2025. Housing & Revitalization Department, Policy Development & Implementation Division.” An image of an entrance to an apartment building is visible behind the text. The City of Detroit’s logo is in the lower right corner.

Housing Accessibility: Needs & Opportunities in Detroit Report

Approximately 1 in 5 Detroit residents live with a disability. Of those living with a disability, 43% of these Detroiters lived below the poverty level in the last year, according to 2023 federal estimates. Residents and advocates report an insufficient supply of housing that is affordable and accessible in Detroit. As more residents age, this scarcity will pose an even larger challenge to overcome.

The Detroit City Council requested the City of Detroit Housing and Revitalization

Department (HRD) to conduct a study evaluating accessible housing needs in Detroit. HRD contracted with Detroit Disability Power, a local advocacy organization, and The Kelsey, a national non-profit organization advancing disability-forward housing, to conduct resident outreach, housing stakeholder engagement, and national best practice research.

This report includes:

  • Population statistics for residents with disabilities in Detroit and a summary of accessible housing needs in Detroit and Michigan
  • Definitions of accessible housing and designing housing opportunities for all abilities
  • An inventory analysis of accessible housing in Detroit
  • A summary of how accessibility is promoted through federal, state and local law and practices
  • Insights from residents, service providers, developers, and property managers that reveal accessible housing gaps
  • Potential solutions to enhance accessible housing options in Detroit

The intended use of this report is to inform the City’s strategy to ensure adequate, quality housing for residents with disabilities through a combination of programmatic and policy approaches.

HRD staff give special thanks to The Kelsey and Detroit Disability Power for their efforts

and leadership on this project and to the many residents, service providers, property

managers, developers, and community organizations who dedicated their time, expertise, and assistance to this study.

Click here to read the full report.