There’s already a wait list of “hundreds” for an affordable new housing development in the Detroit suburb of Harper Woods, Michigan, according to the developer.
Local builder Robertson Brothers Homes and developer Renovare Development broke ground Wednesday for 71 new housing units they’re calling Fraser Square. These homes will be duplexes and townhouses for what they’re calling a “missing middle housing” project.
Homes are priced starting at $235,990 and reserved for buyers making between 60% and 120% of the area median income in Wayne County.
Missing middle is a term for the lack of so-called middle-density housing, such as duplexes and fourplexes. According to the National League of Cities, construction of the housing type has been limited nationwide because of single-family zoning laws and building requirements for higher-density structures. However, experts have argued that middle-density housing helps feed a healthy mix of housing that creates options for a spectrum of affordability.
The Fraser Square project aims to provide middle-density housing to Harper Woods, at listing prices lower than the cost of construction, according to Renovare Managing Partner Shannon Morgan.
“I think what’s really phenomenal about this site is the townhome is a product that Robertson builds all over, and this, by far, is much lower than anything they’re building in any other market,” Morgan told Homes.com in an interview.
The homes come at an attainable price thanks to state support and tax incentives.
The developer received grant money from Michigan’s federally funded Missing Middle Housing Program while taking advantage of a local tax abatement and tax increment financing. The Missing Middle Housing Program requires a five-year deed restriction, meaning buyers cannot sell until living in their homes for five years.
Renovare has also partnered with organizations to assist buyers in purchasing a home in Fraser Square: several local and regional banks offering grant programs for closing costs and down payment assistance, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority’s down payment assistance, and a nonprofit Oakland Housing that’s committed $600,000 for down payment assistance in the form of a loan.
The developer also hosts weekly informational sessions, including housing counselors, to assist interested buyers.
The same two-bedroom townhouse plans by Robertson in Lyon Township, Michigan, start at $349,845 and $379,340 in Troy, Michigan, according to the builder’s website.
The units will be built in Robertson’s Manchester plan, with two levels, 1,206 square feet, and two bedrooms. The townhouses will be in the Davenport plan, with three levels and 1,327 square feet.
The project is underway, and Morgan said the first purchase agreements will be signed in October, with deliveries in the late spring or early summer 2026.
“I’d anticipate after our groundbreaking yesterday, that [our wait list is] in the hundreds. We just opened it up and it will continue to grow from there,” said Morgan.
