Detroit city officials say the process to get a permit to renovate homes and businesses is now much shorter and an effort to ramp up new home construction is on its way.
Mayor Mary Sheffield launched a plan to speed up permitting for repairs − from up to 30 days down to the same day − and build new housing by offering pre-approved home designs to cut through red tape so developers can construct hundreds more new single-family homes. Sheffield has a goal of building 1,000 new single-family homes in her first four years as mayor, as Detroiters struggle to afford quality housing and make repairs.
“For quite some time, we have heard our developers and Detroit contractors and homeowners talk about the challenges that they face navigating the permitting process in our city, and when projects get delayed, we know that investment is delayed and our neighborhoods miss out on the growth that they deserve,” Sheffield said at a news conference on Monday, March 16 inside a home on the city’s west side.
Her administration wants to change that. David Bell, the newly re-appointed director of the city of Detroit’s Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED), said Detroit is in the middle of a construction boom.
“Cranes are in the sky. Houses are being renovated. Businesses are expanding, and BSEED is in the center of it, leading the way and we’ve made new strides. We’ve modernized, we’ve streamlined, we’ve cut the red tape, but now it’s time to take things to the next level,” Bell said.
Here’s the plan officials laid out, meant to repair and build housing, while also improving the BSEED customer experience:
- Implement same-day renovation permits for homeowners, small business owners and contractors to make important repairs, such as roofs, new windows and siding. Bell − describing the change as “streamlining the process” − has authorized inspectors to review permits while in the field, which gets rid of unnecessary steps. This change is now in effect, according to a new release.
- By the end of the year, BSEED is expected to offer pre-approved home designs so lot owners don’t have to hire their own architect, can reduce costs for building the house and shorten the construction timeline.
- BSEED plans to update and simplify three existing technology platforms for tasks such as zoning, permitting, licensing, payments and site plan review into one “point-of-entry.”
Kalaya Long, owner of Blue Horizon Construction, applauded the shorter permitting timeline.
“We want to see that happen across the city,” Long said at the news conference.
Detroit needs to preserve the existing housing stock and build new ones, said Matt Temkin, of Greatwater Opportunity Capital. His real estate firm has been building homes in the East Village neighborhood. Greatwater has sold 40 homes so far, but it hasn’t always been easy, he said.
Added Temkin: “It has been hard to do, which is why we’re really excited to see that maybe we’re going to be able to make it easier, which will encourage other people to come do it as well.”
National and local leaders want to build more housing.
The National Association of Home Builders says one step in addressing the nation’s “housing affordability crisis” is to remove roadblocks to permitting that can get in the way of constructing new homes and apartments.
The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) estimates the state is short 119,000 affordable housing units. While Michigan’s housing production has ramped up, it still falls short of the demand needed to address the housing shortage.
Free Press staff writer JC Reindl contributed to this report.
Reach reporter Nushrat Rahman at nrahman@freepress.com.