Sustainable Housing

The Sustainable Housing department supports efforts to increase sustainability of neighborhood homes, through energy retrofits, flood prevention, foreclosure prevention, and access to other home improvement and financial stability resources.

Our Work

Rebuilding Home Together

As part of the Rebuilding Home Together (RHT) cohort, Eastside Community Network is working to sustainably develop existing single family homes, and sell or rent them at deeply affordable rates to create an affordable housing pipeline in Detroit — with support from our planning partner CHM Housing Partners. Our cohort includes the following community-based organizations:

  • Bridging Communities

  • Central Detroit Christian

  • Genesis HOPE

  • Grandmont Rosedale

  • Joy Southfield Community Development Corporation

  • Osborn Neighborhood Alliance

  • U-SNAP-BASA

ECN is excited to begin our housing rehabilitation work through RHT this year! Are you a potential homebuyer that is interested in connecting with us? Please contact Lawanda Villard at lvillard@ecn-detroit.org.

Lakeview Legacy Homes

Lakeview Legacy Homes, part of ECN’s Sustainable Housing Program, addresses housing affordability, neighborhood stability, and wealth disparities in Detroit. By rehabbing vacant homes and creating pathways to ownership, the program helps residents build financial security and revitalize communities.

By rehabbing vacant homes and creating pathways to ownership, the program helps residents build financial security and revitalize communities. The rehabilitation process goes beyond cosmetic repairs, focusing on sustainable development through key upgrades like energy retrofits and flood prevention measures. These improvements reduce utility costs and ensure long-term home resilience, making ownership more financially feasible. Furthermore, ECN integrates this housing initiative with its broader community development work by connecting new homeowners with vital resources, such as property tax relief programs and health services offered at the Stoudamire Wellness Hub, fostering holistic neighborhood stability.

Detroit Home Repair Fund

Eastside Community Network participates in the Detroit Home Repair Fund (DHRF) — a program that builds capacity for non-profits to provide low-income Detroit homeowners with critical home repairs. One of the goals of the DHRF is to holistically address Detroit housing stability by leveraging multiple home repair resources at once.

As part of this partnership, we help residents complete the first two steps of the qualification process — (1) applying for the Homeowners Property Tax Exemption (HOPE) program and (2) qualifying for the DTE Energy Efficiency Assistance (EEA) program.

The program supports residents in maintaining safe, livable homes while improving housing quality and stabilizing neighborhoods across Detroit.

This program is not currently accepting new applications. For more information, please contact Joseph Middlebrooks jmiddlebrooks@ecn-detroit.org.

HOPE Program

The Homeowners Property Tax Exemption (HOPE) provides an opportunity or homeowners to be exempt from their current year property taxes based on household income or circumstances. Eligibility for the HOPE is based on whether you own and occupy your home as your primary residence and your household income or circumstances.

Eastside Community Network helps residents apply for HOPE through our regular HOPE Days — taking place every Monday from 10:00am - 3:00pm and Wednesdays 1:00pm - 7:00pm. Residents may schedule an appointment by calling (313) 571-2800 or walk-in during the identified hours to receive assistance. As part of this work, we also connect residents with other resources aimed at foreclosure prevention.

To qualify, you must own and live in your home as your primary residence and meet income or hardship requirements.

For more information, please contact please contact Lawanda Villard at lvillard@ecn-detroit.org.

Heirs Property

This partnership is critical because heirs' property—homes passed down without a formal will or clear legal title—is a major driver of generational wealth loss and neighborhood instability in Detroit. Without a clear title, residents cannot legally prove they own the home, making them ineligible for crucial financial resources like the Homeowners Property Tax Exemption (HOPE), low-interest home repair loans, or homeowner's insurance. ECN's on-the-ground role involves identifying vulnerable properties and building trust through community outreach to connect families to LISC's legal providers. By guiding residents through complex legal processes like probate litigation or quiet title actions, the program stabilizes ownership, protects the home from foreclosure or opportunistic speculation, and ensures that the asset can be fully utilized to build and preserve Black generational wealth.

For more information, contact Arena Johnson at ajohnson@ecn-detroit.org.

Energy Efficiency Upgrades

Eastside Community Network (ECN) has partnered with Solutions for Energy Efficient Logistics (SEEL) to help eastside residents access the DTE Energy Efficiency Assistance Program. As part of this program, both tenants and homeowners are able to access subsidized home upgrades that improve the efficiency of their homes and decrease energy costs.

The DTE Energy Efficiency Program provides free energy efficient upgrades to low income households within DTE’s service area. At Eastside Community Network, we work with contractors that will install the approved HVAC measures for our clients and residents. This program involves HVAC measures such asWater Heaters, Furnaces, Furnace/AC combos, and AC replacements. Additionally, within this program, DTE requires whole home assessments that can include services that address health and safety measures within the home.

To learn more about our DTE Energy Efficiency Assistance Program work, please contact please contact Arena Johnson at ajohnson@ecn-detroit.org.