Detroit Explores Innovative Solutions to Boost New Home Construction

City leaders aim to make it easier and more affordable to build new homes, including through 3D printing technology.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 10:20am

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An abstract, impressionistic scene of a new home under construction, with blurred and indistinct shapes in warm, vibrant colors, conveying a sense of progress and possibility in Detroit's housing landscape.Detroit's push for innovative homebuilding solutions aims to make new construction more accessible and affordable for residents.Today in Detroit

Detroit is exploring various strategies to spur new home construction, including attracting innovative homebuilding companies like 3D printing firms. The city's housing department is studying ways to reduce costs and timelines for new home builds, with a goal of adding 1,000 new homes in the next four years. While 3D-printed homes have shown promise, city officials acknowledge there are still challenges in scaling up this technology to make it truly affordable and accessible.

Why it matters

Increasing homeownership is seen as a key pathway to building generational wealth in Detroit, where poverty remains a persistent issue. New construction is a priority alongside renovating the city's many vacant homes, as Detroit aims to make housing more attainable for residents.

The details

Detroit's housing department is exploring innovative solutions to boost new home construction, which has been rare and often unaffordable in the city for decades. Mayor Mary Sheffield has set a goal of 1,000 new homes built in four years, requiring coordination between the city and homebuilders. Officials are studying ways to reduce the high costs and lengthy timelines that have hindered new construction, including looking at 3D-printed homes as a potential solution. While 3D printing has shown promise, city leaders acknowledge there is still a 'chasm' between testing the technology and building homes at an affordable, scalable level.

  • In 2024, Detroit's first 3D-printed home was built in the Islandview neighborhood and is now being rented.
  • In late March 2026, Detroit's housing director Julie Schneider presented the city's new home construction plans to City Council.

The players

Mary Sheffield

The mayor of Detroit who has set a goal of 1,000 new homes built in the city over the next four years.

Julie Schneider

The director of Detroit's housing department, who presented the city's plans for new home construction to City Council.

David Bowser

The chief of staff for the mayor's office, who stated that costs and timelines for new home construction need to be reduced in order to make it feasible.

Tom Woodman

The founder of nonprofit Citizen Robotics, which recently built Detroit's first 3D-printed home, who acknowledges the challenges in scaling up this technology to make it truly affordable.

Coleman Young II

A Detroit City Council member who has shown interest in 3D-printed homes as an innovative housing solution.

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What they’re saying

“The costs have to go down, and the timelines have to come down, as well, for this to be feasible, and we're all laser-focused on that, per the mayor's directive.”

— David Bowser, Chief of staff, Mayor's Office

“The elephant in the room is that we can't get infill homes ... funded. If we could get them funded, tons of developers would step forward and want to do that.”

— Tom Woodman, Founder, Citizen Robotics

“While 3D-printing technologies are challenging, but their marketability and cost-effectiveness have improved over the years.”

— Julie Schneider, Housing Director

What’s next

The city's housing department plans to spend $550,000 in federal funding to study and determine more innovative solutions to boost new home construction in Detroit. A federal housing grant will also support 'infill housing' on vacant land and help update city zoning rules to encourage more affordable housing.

The takeaway

Detroit's efforts to attract innovative homebuilding companies and explore solutions like 3D printing highlight the city's determination to make new home construction more accessible and affordable. By reducing costs and timelines, the city aims to spur more development and increase homeownership, which is seen as crucial for building generational wealth in a community still grappling with high poverty rates.