Located in Detroit’s Piety Hill Neighborhood, the Ruth Ellis Clairmount Center (REC Center) is a mixed-use development that offers 43 units of permanent supportive housing for LGBTQ+ youth (age 18-24) experiencing homelessness, addressing a critical need for a particularly vulnerable population. The development consists of 32 studio and 11 one-bedroom apartments located on floors 2-4, above the first-floor commercial space. Eight units are affordable to tenants at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). The development is named after Ruth Ellis, a pioneering LGBTQ+ Detroit citizen who offered shelter and support to the city’s LGBTQ+ population.
Communal amenities feature a resource library, technology center, community kitchen, salon and art studio. On-site supportive services are run through Henry Ford Health and include primary care, mental health counseling, comprehensive sexual health services, PrEP and HIV treatment, gender-affirming hormone therapies and more. Despite the critical focus and tailored services for LGBTQ+ youth, all prospective residents looking for a home are welcomed, even if they are not members of the LGBTQ+ community.
National Equity Fund invested $13.8 million of LIHTC equity in the Ruth Ellis Clairmount Center in partnership with sponsors Full Circle Communities Inc. and the Ruth Ellis Center.