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Tour Stop – Detroit, MI

April 27, 2026

Mayor: Mary Sheffield

In Detroit, although Black residents make up an estimated 81% of the city’s total population, in 2024 they accounted for only 63% of mortgage originations.

Mayor: Mary Sheffield

In Detroit, although Black residents make up an estimated 81% of the city’s total population, in 2024 they accounted for only 63% of mortgage originations.

Tour Stop Programs

Each stop on the tour will feature programming that equips attendees with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate today’s housing market. 

Credit Power

Learn how to boost your credit score by adding your rent history to your profile the right way. Stronger credit means more affordable paths to homeownership.

From Housing to Homeownership

Discover how Section 8 housing certificates can be used as a pathway to buying a home. Learn the steps to turn rental assistance into real ownership.

Heirs Property Rights

Learn how to secure heirs’ property rights and prevent the loss of family-owned homes. This session shows how to keep wealth and legacy in the family for generations

Renting vs. Owning: Building a Better Future

Explore the true costs of renting versus buying. This session breaks down the financial and lifestyle benefits of homeownership to help you make the best choice for your future.

Town Hall: Affordable Solutions

Join the conversation with city officials and community leaders on solutions to increase housing affordability and expand access to lending programs in your city.

Development for the People

Join with NAREB developers nationwide on partnering with cities to create community-focused developments that deliver affordable housing opportunities.

Register for a Session

Detroit, Michigan: Black Real Estate History & Landmarks

Detroit is one of the most significant cities in the history of Black homeownership, migration, and housing justice in the United States. During the Great Migration, thousands of African Americans moved to Detroit for industrial jobs and the opportunity to purchase homes and build wealth. However, discriminatory housing policies, restrictive covenants, and redlining shaped where Black residents could live, making Detroit a major battleground in the fight for fair housing.

Why Detroit Is Significant to Black Real Estate History

  • During the Great Migration (1916–1970), Detroit became one of the largest destinations for Black families seeking jobs and homeownership opportunities.
  • Restrictive covenants and redlining limited where Black residents could buy homes, concentrating many families in neighborhoods such as Paradise Valley and Black Bottom.
  • The 1948 Supreme Court decision Shelley v. Kraemer helped end the legal enforcement of racially restrictive housing covenants used in Detroit and across the country.
  • The Sojourner Truth Housing Project conflict in 1942 exposed racial tensions around public housing and highlighted the national struggle over housing access for Black Americans.

 

Five Important Black Real Estate Landmarks

  • Black Bottom Neighborhood – Once one of Detroit’s most vibrant Black residential and business communities. The area symbolized Black homeownership, entrepreneurship, and cultural life before urban renewal displaced many residents.
  • Paradise Valley – Located next to Black Bottom, this district was the cultural and economic heart of Detroit’s Black community, filled with Black-owned businesses, clubs, and professional offices tied to property ownership.
  • Sojourner Truth Housing Project Site – A historic public housing development that became the center of protests and riots in 1942 when white residents tried to block Black families from moving in.
  • Birwood Wall – A sixnfoot concrete wall built in 1941 to physically separate a Black neighborhood from a white subdivision so the white developer could obtain federally backed mortgages, symbolizing the impact of segregation in housing.
  • New Bethel Baptist Church Area – Located on Detroit’s west side and associated with civil rights leadership and community organizing that supported economic empowerment and housing justice.

Legacy

Detroit’s housing history reflects both the barriers Black families faced and the resilience of communities determined to build generational wealth through property ownership. From historic neighborhoods like Black Bottom to legal battles against housing discrimination, Detroit remains a powerful example of how real estate has shaped both inequality and opportunity in America.

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