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:
Establish and operationalize the Office of Homeownership & Housing Rights to expand down-payment assistance, home retention, and pathways to ownership.
Lead the initiative to build 1,000 new single-family homes, coordinating permitting, land disposition, incentives, and cross-agency delivery.
Implement structural property-tax reform to reduce burdens on homeowners and prevent displacement.
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.
Strengthen and expand home-repair programs to stabilize long-time homeowners and Detroit’s aging housing stock.
Partner with the Detroit Housing Commission 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, and strengthening dignity-centered homelessness services. 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.
Oversee creation and launch of the Office of Homeownership & Housing Rights, including program design, staffing, and service delivery.
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.
Lead Detroit’s homelessness‑response system, including rapid rehousing, prevention, outreach, and supportive‑housing expansion.
Advance affordable housing development, including new construction, preservation, rehabilitation, and long‑term affordability tools.
Coordinate reforms with the Detroit Housing Commission to improve housing quality, transparency, tenant protections, and voucher utilization.
Oversee citywide home‑repair programs, partnerships, and investments to stabilize Detroit’s aging housing stock.
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 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 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.
Experience managing programs related to homelessness response, supportive housing, or housing-stability services.
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: $170,000-$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.