Housing took center stage as mayoral candidates shared their vision — and plans — to tackle an issue Detroiters say is top of mind.

Six mayoral hopefuls answered questions about how to build housing Detroiters can afford, attract funding for services and strengthen the city’s homelessness response system.

Homelessness increased 16% from 2023 to 2024, according to one-night counts of people experiencing homelessness in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park that take place every January. Homelessness has many root causes, from mental health challenges to substance abuse, but experts have long pointed to housing as a central hurdle. To fully meet the need of people estimated to experience homelessness in Detroit in a year, the city’s homelessness response system needs to add at least 275 emergency shelter beds and 870 units of permanent supportive housing, according to a five-year plan released last year by the city of Detroit and its partners.

Earlier this year, the city’s homeless response system was under scrutiny after two children died while living unhoused in a van and city officials revealed that their mother had contacted city and county services several times prior to the siblings’ death. Mayor Mike Duggan released a seven-point plan to improve access to services for homeless people following the tragedy, including expanding night outreach teams.

The forum, organized by a coalition of social service agencies, took place at the Central United Methodist Church in Detroit, home to Noah at Central, a nonprofit helping people experiencing homelessness.

Participants included Mary Sheffield, Saunteel Jenkins, Fred Durhal III, DaNetta Simpson, Jonathan Barlow and write-in candidate Rogelio Landin. All Detroit mayoral candidates were invited.

Zara Northover, a business consultant and founder of the Moving in Faith brand, and Andrew Stein, president and CEO of the Children’s Foundation, moderated the discussion. Here are the top takeaways:

More: Here’s who is running for Detroit mayor in the 2025 election

The homelessness response system

Candidates said they’d prioritize homelessness services in the budget and take steps to prevent housing instability in the first place.

“Some people are homeless because of addiction issues. Some people are homeless because they lost their jobs. Some people are homeless because of domestic violence issues and mental health issues and we have to address those root causes that led to homelessness in the first place. And then on the other end make sure that there is quality, affordable, appropriate housing for every one of those demographics,” said Jenkins, former Detroit City Council president and CEO of the nonprofit Heat And Warmth Fund (THAW).

Council Member Durhal called for an expansion of the Coordinated Assessment Model, or CAM, which directs people facing homelessness to shelter and other housing resources in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park.

“We do have a CAM system now that has lower wait times but sometimes the wait times are still long. We still hear folks say that when they call the CAM system that they are told that there are not enough beds,” Durhal said. There’s a need for more domestic violence shelters, connecting veterans with services and reaching unhoused children, he said.

Simpson, a three-time mayoral candidate, said she’d create a task force that meets with people who are facing homelessness and find out why they are unhoused.

City Council President Sheffield said prevention is key and touted the initiatives, such as the right to counsel program providing lawyers for families facing eviction, that she has pushed.

Building ‘truly affordable’ housing

Durhal said there’s a difference between low-income housing and affordable housing, between 60% to 80% of the area median income (AMI), a regional measure set by the federal government to determine housing affordability.

“There are not enough vouchers that are accessible to our folks here in the city of Detroit. … We need more vouchers,” Durhal said, to provide low-income housing.

At the same time, there’s a need to build housing, too, he said, and cited the so-called PILOT Fast Track ordinance, which passed last year to speed up development by offering property tax cuts to developers based on rent prices. 

In response to a moderator’s question on how candidates would build affordable housing for those at 30% of the area median income and below, Landin said “we’ve gotta build it,” but said “this is not a quick fix.”

Simpson said she’d forge relationships with people with lower incomes, who need affordable housing, and landlords, to gauge how far they can reduce rents. Homeowners also struggle to afford repairs, she said.

Partnering with nonprofits, churches

Candidates said they’d collaborate with faith-based organizations and nonprofits to bolster housing development.

Jenkins said she’d use “affordable housing bonds” to ensure there’s an inventory of affordable housing and work with nonprofits and the faith-based communities.

Sheffield discussed a “community anchor plan” — partnering with nonprofits and churches to provide access to capital and technical assistance to develop neighborhoods.More: How a scrappy Google map tries to fill the gaps in Detroit homeless services

Attracting new funding for services, housing

Durhal said he’d prioritize funding by looking at the root causes of homelessness, whether that is mental health or substance abuse. He suggested expanding services at the city’s health department and the housing and revitalization department.

Said Jenkins: “What we have to have is a leader who is willing, able and has a track record of fighting to bring resources to the city of Detroit and to the agencies on the ground.”

Resources for low-income Detroiters, homeless students

Candidates addressed how they’d bring together different groups and institutions, from law enforcement and nonprofits to hospitals and developers, to support low-income Detroiters with complex needs.

Sheffield said she’d create a homeless family and services department with wraparound services in one place. Simpson said she’d ensure police officers are trained to handle encounters with people experiencing mental illnesses.

Businessman Barlow said coordination starts with leadership and said there are overlooked communities.

“The LGBTQ+ community continues to suffer because of being unwelcome in their homes,” Barlow said.

Asked how they would better support students experiencing homelessness, candidates said they’d partner with schools to provide basic services, such as housing, and place counselors in schools.