Hotline launched for Detroit housing needs, including rental assistance and help buying a home
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A new hotline makes it easier for Detroiters to access housing help.
The hotline is intended to simplify the process of finding the help you need, such as rental assistance, home buying programs, and resources for homeless people.
"We've probably got $200 million in housing assistance programs that are available, but try to access them," Mayor Mike Duggan said. "You pretty much need a master's in public assistance to decipher the $200 million in programs."
That's no longer the case, though.
American Rescue Fund dollars and a $10 million investment by the Gilbert Family Foundation were used to launch the centralized hotline for almost every housing need one could think of.
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"We offer these incredible resources, and we want to make sure we don't just offer them by name, but we want to make sure that people are actually taking advantage of those resources," said Laura Grannemann, the executive director of the foundation.
The line is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"Now we have a Detroit housing network hotline for you to call that will guide you to appropriate housing help, from assisting the homeless to helping you become a homeowner," said Mary Waters, Detroit City Council member at-large.
When you call you’ll first be asked if you need help to rent or buy, then there’s an intake process – to figure out what’s next, and a case manager takes over from there.