A long-anticipated housing development is coming to Port Huron, promising not just construction but new opportunity.
Backed by a $16.5 million tax credit from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), the Lincoln Avenue Loft Project will deliver 40 affordable workforce housing units to a centrally located site just blocks from the riverfront.
Community Housing Network, the developer behind the project, will use proceeds from the tax credit sale to fund construction, which is expected to begin this fall.
City Manager James Freed says the project represents more than just new construction; it’s also a strategic investment in the city’s future.
“The Lincoln Avenue Loft Project is not only an economic development project, but it’s a project that directly targets one of the real challenges we have in our community, and that is housing availability and also workforce housing, and this addresses both of them,” Freed says.
The development includes two new buildings, with one featuring 38 one and two-bedroom apartments, each outfitted with full appliances—including in-unit washers and dryers. Nine units will be reserved as permanent supportive housing for residents moving out of homelessness or housing insecurity. It will also include a first-floor community room and easy access to public transportation and downtown amenities, which are key elements for fostering long-term residential stability.
The project’s location is as intentional as its design. Situated between McLaren Hospital and St. Clair County Community College, the site is directly connected to two of the city’s key workforce and education hubs.
“The location is key to being near -- one, the job creator and job provider -- but also the educational institution, which is equipping people for those jobs,” Freed says.
Working to Solve Port Huron’s Housing Shortage
C.J. Felton, Director of Real Estate Development for Community Housing Network, says that, like many places in Michigan, Port Huron is in urgent need of housing across the board.
Freed says the shortage is driving up rents and making it increasingly difficult for even middle-income workers to live in the community.
“We just have a remarkable housing shortage,” he says. “We do not have enough units for supply and demand, and because of that, rent rates are being driven up.”
Freed adds, “We want to make sure that our community is a place where if you work in Port Huron, you can afford to live here. This is really an equity question. I don't think it's right for a community that you can be a server, or a bartender, or a nurse there, but can never afford to actually live in a community.
We want to make sure our community is a place for everyone.”
The Lincoln Avenue Lofts will serve households earning around $50,000 annually, and will remain income-restricted for the next 45 years.
For employers in the region, the project could also ease persistent labor shortages.
“We used to chase jobs, now we chase workers,” Freed says. “It’ll allow people to move to our community to fill the job openings.”
Making the Project Possible
This will be Community Housing Network’s 12th affordable housing development in the state—and its first in Port Huron. Felton says the city’s welcoming approach helped make the deal possible.
The initial idea for the project came about two years ago, after Jasmine Thomas—then newly on staff with the City of Port Huron—contacted Felton following previous collaborations in Macomb County.
“She reached out to us and said, ‘We’ve got some needs in our city, and would you come talk to us?’ And we did,” Felton recalls. “She was instrumental in making this happen.”
The project has drawn support from a range of local partners. The Port Huron Housing Commission will provide rental assistance vouchers, while the Algonac Housing Commission has signed on as a development partner. And none of it would have been possible, Felton says, without the MSHDA tax credit.
“That’s the single greatest tool we have right now for developing new affordable housing,” he says.
Felton expects leasing to be competitive the moment the first construction sign goes up.
“We never have to worry about that,” he says. “We don’t have to market. The need is so great, we don’t have to do any marketing at all.”
Construction is projected to begin in early 2026, with the first tenants expected to move in by spring 2027.
While no additional projects are confirmed yet, Felton says his team is eager to do more in Port Huron, as “the city’s been tremendous to work with.”
For Freed, the Lincoln Avenue Lofts are just one part of a larger vision where Port Huron is not only a place to work, but a place to call home.
“We want to be a place for everyone,” he says. “We want any hardworking person who wants to build a future for themselves to be able to find affordable housing and attainable housing here in Port Huron to build their lives. It’s a project that shows hope.”