PHA directory › Michigan › Agency profile

Detroit Housing Commission

Official application routes, service-area details, contact information, and HUD-reported program data for this Detroit housing agency.

Independent directory: CalculateBenefits is not DHC or HUD. Recorded source-check date for the agency-specific details below: 2026-11-02.

Is the Detroit Section 8 waiting list open?

As of Nov. 2, 2026, DHC's website said it was open only for some applicants: we are only accepting applications for Project Based Properties only.

Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)

Open — limited we are only accepting applications for Project Based Properties only

What the agency's site said on Nov. 2, 2026. See the notice →

Public housing

Closed

What the agency's site said on Nov. 2, 2026. See the notice →

Waiting lists open and close without much notice. Applying is free; only DHC can take an application or tell you your place on a list.

Start with the official agency

Visit the official DHC website →

Housing applications and waiting-list registration are free. A third party cannot guarantee approval or move you ahead on a waiting list.

What this agency serves

DHC provides affordable housing for people with low and moderate incomes throughout the Detroit Metropolitan area.

Public housing (Low-Income Public Housing / LIPH)
Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)
Project-Based Voucher Program
Family Unification Program
Moderate Rehabilitation (MOD Rehab)
Homeownership program
Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program

Housing Choice Voucher application

DHC takes voucher and Project-Based applications only online, through its RentCafe Applicant Portal. It does not take them in person, by mail, or by email. In the portal you can apply, check status, and update your information.

What DHC said when we checked on November 2, 2026. Waiting lists open and close; check DHC's official site or call for the current status.

Open DHC's RentCafe applicant portal →

Public housing application

Each DHC public housing property has its own waiting list. You can apply to more than one property when that site's list is taking applications and your household qualifies. Applications and updates go through the RentCafe portal.

What DHC said when we checked on November 2, 2026. Waiting lists open and close; check DHC's official site or call for the current status.

Open DHC's RentCafe applicant portal →

Income limits for Wayne County

HUD fiscal year 2026 limits (pulled July 27, 2026) for Wayne County, where DHC's main office is.

Household	30% (extremely low)	50% (very low)	80% (low)
1 person	$22,050	$36,700	$58,700
2 people	$25,200	$41,950	$67,100
3 people	$28,350	$47,200	$75,500
4 people	$33,000	$52,400	$83,850

Section 8 vouchers generally use the 50% limit, and agencies must give most new vouchers to families at or below 30%; families up to 50% can still qualify. The 80% limit applies to public housing.

Source: HUD income limits. Check 5 to 8 people or another county →

Other help in Detroit

Heat and utility bills
Wayne Metro Community Action Agency (Michigan Energy Assistance Program) · (313) 388-9799
Helps low-income Wayne County households with energy bills through the Michigan Energy Assistance Program, plus water bill help. MEAP needs a pre-screening and an appointment. Call to start.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Food
Gleaners Community Food Bank
The food bank for Southeast Michigan. Use Pantrynet.org to search by ZIP code for pantries and free mobile food distributions near you.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Facing eviction
Lakeshore Legal Aid · 1-888-783-8190
Free civil legal help for low-income people in Southeast Michigan, including eviction and subsidized housing problems. It has a Detroit Eviction Prevention office. New clients call the hotline.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.
Everything else
Michigan 211 · 211
Call, text, or search online to find local help with food, housing, paying bills, and more. Help is offered in 180+ languages.
Checked Nov. 2, 2026.

These are separate organizations, not DHC and not CalculateBenefits.

Contact DHC before you visit

General inquiries: 313-877-8000
Central office: 1301 E Jefferson, Detroit, MI 48207

Published hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

DHC's Administrative Office is at 1301 E Jefferson, and its Customer Service Center is at 2211 Orleans. Both are in Detroit. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 313-877-8000 before you go. TDD/TTY: 800-222-3679.

From CalculateBenefits, not DHC

Waiting-list news by email

Get our free emails. If this agency's main Section 8 waiting list opens and we see it, we email the people who signed up here. Some lists close before we can send. To sign up, you take our free benefits check. You give your name and email and answer a few questions. A phone step is optional. Then you see offers from partners. Your information may be shared with or sold to marketing partners. They may also contact you (how we use it). Signing up does not apply for housing or put you on any waiting list.

Start sign-up

Before and after you apply

List every household member on the application. Each person will need a birth certificate, Social Security card, and valid photo ID.
Only mark preferences, like Veteran or Elderly/Disabled, that truly apply to your household. Wrong preferences can delay your file.
Keep your address, phone, email, and income up to date in the RentCafe portal. DHC can drop you from the list if it cannot reach you.
DHC does not give an exact place in line. Log in and choose Application Status to see if your application is active.
When your name is picked, you get a portal or email notice with a deadline. If you miss it, your application can be removed.

Documents DHC asks applicants to have ready

Birth certificates for all household members
Social Security cards for all household members
Valid photo ID
Proof of household income and assets

From DHC's published guidance. Ask the agency if you are missing something; do not wait to call.

HUD-reported assistance

6,612HUD-reported voucher units

4,650Voucher units reported in use

4,251HUD-reported public housing units

2,585Occupied public housing units

These figures are HUD reporting-data snapshots, not a count of openings. Equal inventory and occupied counts do not prove that no future opening is possible. Waiting-list status comes from DHC, not this dataset.

HUD public housing designation: Substandard Physical. Substandard Physical means the agency earned at least 60% overall but scored below HUD's minimum for the physical-condition indicator. HUD may require corrective action.

HUD directory dataset retrieved 2026-07-20; record last updated 2026-04-07. Read the data methods and limitations.