Director - Housing and Revitalization Department

ABOUT THE SHEFFIELD ADMINISTRATION 

Detroit is entering a historic new chapter under Mayor-Elect Mary Sheffield, the city’s first woman to serve as Mayor. Elected with a decisive mandate, Mayor-Elect Sheffield brings a steady, community-rooted approach to governing—one focused on listening to residents, healing long-standing divides, and delivering meaningful improvements in daily life across every neighborhood. She will take office on January 1, 2026, with a commitment to building a city that lifts every family and expands opportunity for all.

As she forms her administration, Mayor-Elect Sheffield is assembling a talented, diverse team of leaders who bring deep expertise, lived experience, and the courage to put forward bold, innovative ideas that move Detroit forward. Her team will drive a City government grounded in collaboration, equity, transparency, and results. The Sheffield Administration seeks mission-driven individuals who are ready to serve, ready to build, and ready to help shape Detroit’s future.

ABOUT THE OFFICE  

Detroit’s Housing & Revitalization Department (HRD) leads the City’s work to expand affordable housing, strengthen neighborhood stability, and ensure that longtime Detroiters can remain and thrive in their communities. The department coordinates major housing programs, federal resources, home repair investments, and community development strategies that affect more than 633,000 residents across nearly 140 square miles. Under the Sheffield Administration, HRD will champion a housing agenda rooted in dignity, equity, and opportunity—expanding homeownership, accelerating the production of new homes, protecting renters, and investing in neighborhoods that have historically seen underinvestment. HRD works in partnership with DLBA, PDD, DEGC, DHC, community organizations, and residents to ensure that housing policies strengthen Detroit’s future while honoring the people who built the city.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Director of Housing & Revitalization serves as Detroit’s senior housing executive, responsible for leading the administration’s strategy to expand affordable housing, increase homeownership, accelerate infill development, and strengthen neighborhood stability. The Director oversees major federal housing programs (CDBG, HOME, ESG), guides homelessness-response systems, advances affordable and workforce-housing initiatives, and coordinates closely with DLBA, PDD, DEGC, HRD, and the Detroit Housing Commission to ensure that Detroiters benefit directly from reinvestment. The role requires a leader with a strong equity lens, a collaborative approach, and a commitment to community-driven development.

This role will drive the administration’s housing and neighborhood priorities, including:

• Lead the initiative to build 1,000 new single-family homes, coordinating permitting, land disposition, incentives, and cross-agency delivery.

• Leading the development of multi-family housing and infill development, with a strong emphasis on affordable, workforce, and mixed-income projects.

• Increase the Housing Trust Fund to 100% of commercial land-sale revenue and guide strategic investment.

• Execute the Affordable Housing Action Plan to close Detroit’s 40,000+ unit affordable-housing gap through new development, preservation, and rehabilitation.

• Partner with the DHC on reforms that improve safety, quality, transparency, and voucher success.

• Integrate housing strategies into Neighborhood Opportunity & Empowerment Hubs, aligning housing with economic mobility, youth, and senior services.

• Align HRD’s work with broader goals for poverty reduction, equitable development, renter protections, and community-led revitalization.

Mayor-Elect Sheffield has emphasized that Detroit must build “complete, thriving communities” where longtime residents share fully in the benefits of growth. The Director will advance this vision by accelerating infill housing production, expanding homeownership opportunities—especially for first-generation buyers—growing the affordable-housing pipeline. The role requires deep partnership with neighborhood organizations, tenant advocates, and community leaders to ensure that housing policies and investments are shaped by and accountable to Detroiters. It is a rare opportunity to lead one of the nation’s most ambitious, equity-driven housing agendas and help secure stability, dignity, and opportunity for all residents.

Core responsibilities include: 

• Lead Detroit’s housing, affordability, and neighborhood‑revitalization strategy with a strong emphasis on equity and community voice.

• Coordinate the development and construction of 1,000 new homes through streamlined infill development and public‑private partnerships.

• Expand homeownership opportunities through down‑payment assistance, mortgage access initiatives, and first‑generation buyer support.

• Guide property‑tax reform implementation and collaborate with state and local partners to reduce homeowner burdens.

• Manage CDBG, HOME, ESG, Housing Trust Fund, and other major housing and federal resources to maximize community impact.

• Advance affordable housing development, including new construction, preservation, rehabilitation, and long‑term affordability tools.

• Coordinate reforms with the DHC to improve housing quality, transparency, tenant protections, and voucher utilization.

• Support community‑led neighborhood revitalization, including corridor‑based planning, blight removal, and community‑benefits alignment.

• Collaborate with DLBA, PDD, DEGC, DHC, and neighborhood groups to align land‑use decisions with equitable housing goals.

• Secure federal, state, philanthropic, and private funding to expand Detroit’s housing and revitalization initiatives.

• Represent the Mayor in housing and development negotiations and engage residents, community groups, and regional partners.

Qualifications: 

• Commitment to housing as a human right, equitable development, anti-displacement strategies, and strengthening Detroit’s neighborhoods.

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in public administration, urban planning, housing policy, real estate development, public policy, or a related field preferred.

• Extensive leadership experience in affordable housing, community development, neighborhood revitalization, or housing-policy implementation within a city, county, state agency, or major nonprofit/housing institution.

• Demonstrated success managing federal housing programs (CDBG, HOME, ESG) and ensuring strong HUD and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance.

• Experience interpreting property tax policy specifically with respect to tax abatements as a tool for housing development.

• Experience developing or overseeing affordable, workforce, mixed-income, and for-sale housing projects, including rehabilitation, preservation, and new construction.

• Strong understanding of development finance, including Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), layered/braided funding, underwriting, project feasibility, and public–private partnerships.

• Track record of working with community organizations, tenants, neighborhood groups, and resident-led initiatives to co-create solutions and advance equitable development.

• Ability to collaborate effectively with developers, service providers, philanthropic partners, advocacy groups, and multiple government agencies.

• Strong policy, regulatory, and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret housing regulations, evaluate programs, and design data-informed strategies.

• Excellent communication and public engagement skills, including the ability to explain complex housing issues to residents, policymakers, and community stakeholders.

• Experience managing teams, budgets, and complex departmental operations in a fast-paced, urban environment.

• Working knowledge of Detroit, its communities, and local government, or the ability to quickly develop this knowledge.

Rate of Pay: $132,372-$200,000 annually, commensurate with qualifications and experience.  

Benefits:
Our goal is to attract and retain a highly skilled workforce by providing generous healthcare and other benefits to eligible employees. Learn more about benefits for City of Detroit employees.

Equal Opportunity in Employment: 
The Sheffield Administration is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. Even if you do not meet all of the requirements listed above, we encourage you to apply if you believe you have the skills, experience, and expertise necessary to thrive in this role. The City of Detroit is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage candidates of all backgrounds—including those historically underrepresented in municipal government—to apply.

APPLY HERE

Chief of Housing, Planning, Workforce and Economic Development

ABOUT THE SHEFFIELD ADMINISTRATION 

Detroit is entering a historic new chapter under Mayor-Elect Mary Sheffield, the city’s first woman to serve as Mayor. Elected with a decisive mandate, Mayor-Elect Sheffield brings a steady, community-rooted approach to governing—one focused on listening to residents, healing long-standing divides, and delivering meaningful improvements in daily life across every neighborhood. She will take office on January 1, 2026, with a commitment to building a city that lifts every family and expands opportunity for all.

As she forms her administration, Mayor-Elect Sheffield is assembling a talented, diverse team of leaders who bring deep expertise, lived experience, and the courage to put forward bold, innovative ideas that move Detroit forward. Her team will drive a City government grounded in collaboration, equity, transparency, and results. The Sheffield Administration seeks mission-driven individuals who are ready to serve, ready to build, and ready to help shape Detroit’s future.

ABOUT THE OFFICE

The Office of Housing, Planning, Workforce & Economic Development is housed within the Mayor’s Office and serves as the administration’s central coordinating body for Detroit’s housing, neighborhood planning, economic development, and workforce strategy. This office aligns the work of key agencies and partners—including the Detroit Land Bank Authority (DLBA), Housing & Revitalization Department (HRD), Planning & Development Department (PDD), Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), Downtown Development Authority (DDA), Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity (CRIO), Detroit at Work, Detroit Means Business, and major philanthropic and industry partners—to ensure Detroit residents directly benefit from reinvestment, job creation, and long-term neighborhood stability. The office’s mission is to expand affordable housing and homeownership programs, accelerate infill and single-family housing development, reform land stewardship practices, support community-led development, strengthen local business ecosystems, and align Detroit’s talent pipelines with the high-quality jobs of today and tomorrow. All work is grounded in the values of equity, resident voice, and the belief that Detroit’s growth must be driven by and for Detroiters.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Reporting directly to the Mayor, the Chief of Housing, Planning, Workforce & Economic Development serves as a senior executive responsible for integrating Detroit’s major housing, planning, economic-development, and workforce systems into one coordinated, community-centered agenda. The Chief ensures direct alignment between neighborhood-led housing strategies, infill and single-family development, planning and zoning priorities, Detroit Land Bank and Housing Commission reforms, economic-development initiatives, and workforce pipelines that prepare Detroiters for great-paying jobs. This role oversees major citywide housing planning and development functions, including equitable incentive and tax-abatement policy; recruitment and retention of large and emerging industries; economic mobility strategies; CRIO’s inclusion and community benefit agreement compliance efforts; and workforce partnerships spanning employers, unions, and training institutions. The Chief is responsible for ensuring that resident feedback meaningfully informs policy and development decisions and that Detroiters experience visible improvements in housing quality, economic opportunity, and neighborhood stability. This position requires a visionary leader with deep policy expertise, exceptional community relationships, and the operational skill to drive large-scale, cross-agency systems toward measurable results.

This role will drive the administration’s neighborhood priorities, including:

• Lead Detroit’s unified Housing, Planning, Workforce, and Economic Development strategy under one cohesive vision

• Ensure alignment between community-driven housing development, infill and single-family construction, and long-term neighborhood planning

• Advance business-attraction strategies to recruit major employers and emerging industries into Detroit’s economic base

• Coordinate high-quality workforce pipelines that prepare Detroiters for careers in mobility, clean energy, healthcare, tech, logistics, skilled trades, and advanced manufacturing

• Drive comprehensive reform of the Detroit Land Bank Authority to improve transparency, customer experience, and community benefit

• Drive comprehensive reform of the Detroit Housing Commission to improve transparency, customer experience, and community benefit

• Expand first-generation homeownership pathways

• Facilitate small-scale development pipelines and neighborhood-based rehabilitation efforts

• Guide equitable tax-abatement, incentive, and investment strategies that stabilize neighborhoods and produce clear public benefit

• Oversee core economic-development functions including DEGC, DDA, CRIO, Detroit Means Business, and entrepreneurship strategy

• Build and implement Detroit’s citywide Master Plan with sustained resident engagement

• Source and manage federal funds for anti-displacement, home-repair, and affordability-preservation strategies benefitting Detroit residents

This description outlines the general nature and key responsibilities of the role and is not intended to be exhaustive; duties, responsibilities, and activities may be modified at the discretion of the Mayor.

Core responsibilities include: 

• Oversee Detroit’s integrated housing, planning, workforce, and economic-development portfolio from within the Mayor’s Office

• Lead cross-agency teams including DLBA, PDD, HRD, DEGC, DDA, CRIO, Detroit at Work, and philanthropic and private-sector partners

• Direct the development and execution of the citywide Neighborhood Development Plan with strong community participation

• Strengthen infill and single-family housing development pipelines, including land disposition, permitting, financing strategies, and small-scale developer support

• Drive major reforms to the Detroit Housing Commission and Detroit Land Bank Authority to improve customer service, community alignment, and equitable outcomes

• Guide policy and operational strategies for tax abatements, incentives, zoning, and land-use tools

• Develop comprehensive economic-development strategies that support legacy businesses, attract major employers, and grow Detroit’s industry clusters

• Oversee Detroit Means Business, small-business supports, commercial corridor development, and entrepreneurship strategies

• Align Detroit at Work and employer partnerships to build workforce pipelines that match industry needs and prepare residents for quality jobs

• Promote equitable development practices and ensure CRIO’s supplier diversity and inclusion goals support Detroit-based and minority-owned businesses

• Work closely with neighborhood leaders and residents to ensure housing and economic decisions reflect community priorities

• Represent the Mayor in major negotiations, development discussions, and intergovernmental economic projects

• Monitor neighborhood and economic indicators to guide policy decisions and ensure transparency

• Coordinate large-scale funding strategies across local, state, federal, and philanthropic sources

• Ensure strong collaboration between planning, housing, economic development, and workforce systems to deliver measurable improvements for Detroit residents.

Qualifications: 

• Advanced degree in public policy, urban planning, real estate, economics, business administration, law, or a related field preferred

• Ten or more years of senior leadership experience in housing, planning, economic development, workforce strategy, or cross-agency public administration

• Demonstrated experience managing core economic-development agencies or programs such as DEGC, DDA, CRIO, small-business ecosystems, or major development authorities

• Proven experience leading infill and single-family housing development, rehabilitation programs, and community-driven development strategies

• Experience managing land-bank operations, land disposition, real estate development strategies, or complex incentive systems

• Strong understanding of Detroit’s neighborhoods, economic landscape, housing systems, land stewardship challenges, and business environment

• Experience recruiting or supporting large-scale employers and emerging industries

• Expertise in tax abatements, zoning, land-use policy, and economic-development finance tools

• Exceptional ability to build relationships with residents, developers, employers, unions, community organizations, and philanthropic partners

• Demonstrated commitment to equity, transparency, community voice, and neighborhood-centered development

• Ability to work in fast-paced, politically sensitive environments and lead complex cross-departmental initiatives.

Rate of Pay:  $179,000 - $200,000 annually, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Benefits: Our goal is to attract and retain a highly skilled workforce by providing generous healthcare and other benefits to eligible employees. Learn more about benefits for City of Detroit employees.

Equal Opportunity in Employment: The Sheffield Administration is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. Even if you do not meet all of the requirements listed above, we encourage you to apply if you believe you have the skills, experience, and expertise necessary to thrive in this role. The City of Detroit is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage candidates of all backgrounds—including those historically underrepresented in municipal government—to apply.

APPLY HERE