Detroit Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield emphasizes affordable housing in meeting with HUD Secretary 

Mary Sheffield, the mayor-elect of Detroit, met with U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner on Thursday at the Marygrove Conservancy, which is serving as her transition headquarters, to discuss partnership opportunities between the city and the federal administration to preserve and expand affordable housing in Detroit. 

“I’d like to thank Secretary Turner for taking the time to come to Marygrove and the opportunity to share my vision with respect to affordable housing in Detroit,” Sheffield said in a press release. “I’ve spent my entire career advocating for strong neighborhoods that contain diverse housing options for every Detroiter, from transitional to affordable to market rate.”

“As Detroit’s next mayor, my first priority is to ensure our city has the resources we need to improve the quality of life for all Detroiters, to expand housing opportunities for renters and new homeowners, and to build on the progress we’ve made as a city over the past decade,” she continued. “I will continue to work with our partners on the state and federal level, Democrats and Republicans, to ensure Detroit can rise higher.”

Turner told reporters after the meeting that federal government intervention is not the solution on certain issues, including redevelopment of the General Motors Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit, Axios Detroit reported. 

“I think she has a great vision,” Turner added. “She’s a pioneer of sorts, and so we look forward to working with her for the people of Detroit.”

Turner and the department of Housing and Urban Development have recently come under fire, including in a lawsuit filed by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and 22 other state leaders, for changes made to a funding program that has historically allowed state and local governments to put money towards permanent housing solutions. 

The department, under the current administration, has also pushed to limit the scope of public housing and housing voucher programs. Housing advocates have warned that changes like these could exacerbate homelessness and make it harder for state and local governments to address it.