YPSILANTI, Mich. – Arnetta Wilson stepped into her new home at Dorsey Estates earlier this month in Ypsilanti‘s first new for-sale housing development in four decades.
“When a person purchases a home, I believe they feel better because it’s theirs,” Wilson said, reflecting on her journey to first-time homeownership.
The development, named in honor of Mattie Dorsey, Ypsilanti’s first Black councilwoman, represents an innovative approach to the housing crisis impacting communities across the state and country.
The neighborhood features a variety of housing options, including townhomes, duplexes, and cottages, designed to accommodate affordable, middle-income, and market-rate homes.
There are 46 two-bedroom units in the development. The most affordable homes start at $95,600.
Shannon Morgan, president of Renovare Development, emphasizes the project’s mission to challenge preconceptions about affordable housing.
“What we need to understand is the stigma when people hear affordable housing. I think those are the projects that look like public housing, but as you can see, this is a beautiful community. We have high-end features,” said Morgan.
The development, built on a former brownfield site, required years of planning and coordination to become a reality.
Its success relied heavily on funding from the American Rescue Plan, a resource that Katie Jones, Ypsilanti’s strategic communications and economic development manager, notes is no longer available for future projects.
“One of the biggest things that allowed us to be able to do this project was incentives from the American Rescue Plan, and that’s just not there anymore,” Jones said. “And so we hope there are new incentives coming along down the road that are focused on housing.”
For residents like Thomas Senrud, another first-time homeowner, the development provided a crucial pathway to homeownership that would have otherwise been unattainable.
“I don’t think I could have afforded a house without this program,” Senrud acknowledged.
The success of Dorsey Estates comes at a time when the American dream of homeownership remains increasingly challenging for many to achieve.
“Some people are resentful of projects like this because they say nobody deserves a free lunch,” Senrud said. “My take is some people are not as blessed as others, and they just don’t have the opportunity.”
The development addresses a critical need in the community, with Morgan reporting a waitlist of approximately 400 people.