Clement Kern Gardens in Corktown: 156 Affordable Apartments in Three New Developments on Bagley Street

Published October 27, 202618 min readBy VoucherMatch Editorial Team

Quick answerAs of October 7, 2026, three new developments are going up on the Clement Kern Gardens site on Bagley Street in Detroit's Corktown: 188 apartments, 156 of them income-restricted. Residents of the old complex have priority to return. No rents, opening dates or application are published. Rent assistance is attached to 98 apartments, where the tenant's share is set from income. Detroit Home Connect lists Clement Kern Gardens with a waiting list and the number 313-965-5650.

Last checked: October 7, 2026, against the City of Detroit's multifamily housing dataset, building permits, release of June 1, 2026, environmental assessments for Bagley Townhomes and Flats on 10th, West of 10th and Trumbull, and Home Connect listing; the developer's 2023 design presentation and the staff report in the Historic District Commission's file; and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority's (MSHDA) staff reports of May 22, 2025 and September 18, 2025 (archived copies), 2026 income and rent limits and payment standards. Confirm dates and eligibility before you apply.

The Clement Kern Gardens redevelopment in numbers

188apartments in three developments on Bagley Street
156income-restricted apartments, at 30% to 80% of area median income
98apartments with rent assistance attached, where rent follows income
87apartments in the 1985 complex being replaced
55 and olderthe age rule at one of the three, West of 10th
June 1, 2026the day the City marked construction of all three

Rendering of a row of white three-story townhomes with steep gabled roofs, black-framed windows and small entry canopies along a street, with a cyclist and people walking — The developer's 2023 rendering of the Bagley Townhomes, part of the first phase on the Clement Kern Gardens site in Corktown. Photo: American Community Developers, from its Design Review presentation of June 2, 2023, filed with the Detroit Historic District Commission, developer rendering, via detroitmi.gov (resized).

What Clement Kern Gardens Is and What Is Replacing It

Clement Kern Gardens is an 87-apartment, rent-assisted complex built in 1985 on Bagley Street. Its owner is replacing it in phases with new mixed-income buildings.

The three developments on the Clement Kern Gardens site
Development	Address	Apartments	Income-restricted	Sizes	Listed for
Bagley Townhomes & Flats on 10th	1563 Bagley Street	54	44	Studios to three-bedroom flats; 12 townhomes	Family
West of 10th Apartments	1601 Bagley Street	46	40	One-bedrooms of about 567 square feet	Elderly, 55 and older
Trumbull Apartments	1501 Bagley Street	88	72	Studios, one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms	Family

What it means: 188 apartments in all, 156 income-restricted and 32 at market rate.

Source: City release of June 1, 2026 for names, addresses and counts; City dataset for the last column; City environmental assessments for sizes.

Site name: the City's dataset files all three under "Clement Kern Gardens" at 1661 Bagley Street.
Developer: American Community Developers. MSHDA's reports name Independent Management Services as manager and DesignWerks Architecture as architect.
Money: "nearly $84 million in total investment", part of it from Detroit's $35 million federal Choice Neighborhoods grant.
The old complex: 12 two-story buildings with 87 apartments on about 7 acres, in the Historic District Commission's staff report.

From the 1985 complex to three new developments

1985Clement Kern Gardens is built.
May 2021HUD awards Detroit a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods grant centered on the site.
May 8, 2024the Historic District Commission finds the first phase "will have a beneficial effect" on the Corktown Historic District next door.
June 27 and July 17, 2025the City issues permits for the townhomes and the two buildings of flats.
November 3, 2025the permit for the Trumbull building is issued.
January 30, 2026the permit for West of 10th is issued.
June 1, 2026the City celebrates construction of all three.

What it means: none of the three has a published opening date. A consultant's letter of March 25, 2025 in the City's environmental assessment expected the first phase to "be completed in approximately two years" from summer 2025.

Source: Historic District Commission staff report and advisory letter; City permits and release.

Rendering from above of a city block with two rows of gabled townhomes along the top street, two three-story brick buildings, a four-story brick building at left and an L-shaped white four-story building at right around parking courts — The developer's 2023 model of the first phase, seen from the south: townhomes along Bagley Street at the top, the flats in the middle, West of 10th at left and the Trumbull building at right. Photo: American Community Developers, from its Design Review presentation of June 2, 2023, filed with the Detroit Historic District Commission, developer rendering, via detroitmi.gov (resized).

Where the Site Is and How to Get Around

The site is on the south side of Bagley Street between Trumbull Avenue and Rosa Parks Boulevard in Corktown, in ZIP code 48216 and City Council District 6.

Stop	Route	Straight-line distance
Bagley & Rosa Parks	DDOT 1 Vernor	0.01 miles
Trumbull & Bagley	DDOT 29 Linwood and 1 Vernor	0.21 miles
Michigan & Cochrane	DDOT 2 Michigan	0.23 miles
Lafayette & Rosa Parks	DDOT 27 Joy	0.34 miles
I-75 Service Drive & Wabash	DDOT 18 Fenkell	0.40 miles
Fort & Rosa Parks	DDOT 19 Fort	0.41 miles

What it means: the Vernor bus stops beside the site, and the Trumbull building is at the Trumbull & Bagley stop, a fifth of a mile east of that point.

Source: City of Detroit DDOT Bus Stops dataset, read October 7, 2026. Distances are straight-line from the City dataset's point at the west end of the site, calculated by VoucherMatch.

Street grid: 10th Street is being reconnected between Bagley and Labrosse streets, through the old block.
Parking: the developer's 2023 presentation showed 52 spaces for the townhomes and flats, 35 for West of 10th and 72 for Trumbull. Final counts and any cost are not published.

Photograph of a street with a row of three-story wood-framed buildings under construction behind red and white barriers, and a white gabled townhome at the far end — Framing going up on Bagley Street on June 1, 2026, in the City of Detroit's release of that day. Photo: City of Detroit, from its release of June 1, 2026, government photograph, via detroitmi.gov (enlarged and set on a plain field).

Rents and Income Limits at the Three Developments

No rent schedule is published. What a household pays depends first on whether its apartment has rent assistance attached.

Income-restricted apartments by income level, number of apartments

Bagley Townhomes & FlatsWest of 10thTrumbull

30% of area median income

40%

50%

60%

80%

View the data table

Income level	Bagley Townhomes & Flats	West of 10th	Trumbull
30% of area median income	5	0	32
40%	4	5	0
50%	19	0	0
60%	0	35	0
80%	16	0	40

What it means: across the site, 37 apartments are at 30%, 9 at 40%, 19 at 50%, 35 at 60% and 56 at 80%.

Source: City of Detroit, Multifamily Housing Sites Under Construction and Completed, records HRD12405, HRD12406 and HRD12408; dataset last edited October 2, 2026.

Apartments with and without rent assistance, number of apartments

Rent assistance attachedIncome-restricted, no assistanceMarket rate

Bagley Townhomes & Flats

West of 10th

Trumbull

View the data table

Development	Rent assistance attached	Income-restricted, no assistance	Market rate
Bagley Townhomes & Flats	28	16	10
West of 10th	38	2	6
Trumbull	32	40	16

What it means: in 98 apartments the tenant's share follows income, under a federal rule generally 30% of adjusted monthly income (24 CFR 5.628). The other 58 income-restricted apartments will have a set rent.

Source: City release of June 1, 2026: 28, 30 and 19 apartments under HUD Housing Assistance Payment contracts, and 8 and 13 with project-based vouchers. The middle column is by subtraction.

Maximum yearly household income, 2026
Household	30%	40%	50%	60%	80%
1 person	$22,020	$29,360	$36,700	$44,040	$58,720
2 people	$25,170	$33,560	$41,950	$50,340	$67,120
3 people	$28,320	$37,760	$47,200	$56,640	$75,520
4 people	$31,440	$41,920	$52,400	$62,880	$83,840
5 people	$33,960	$45,280	$56,600	$67,920	$90,560

What it means: a family of four on $50,000 a year is under the 50%, 60% and 80% limits. A federal contract or a voucher can carry its own, lower limit, so ask.

Source: MSHDA, Income and Rent Limits effective May 1, 2026, Wayne County.

State maximum rents at 30%, with utilities: $550 for a studio, $589 for a one-bedroom, $708 for a two-bedroom and $817 for a three-bedroom.
State maximum rents at 80%, with utilities: $1,468, $1,573, $1,888 and $2,180.
What the developer has said: its vice president told WXYZ on June 1, 2026 that "rent here starts as low as 5 and 600 dollars per month". That is in line with the 30% maximums. It is not a rent schedule.
At 80% the cap is not the rent: the State's maximum there is far above local rents, as the charts below show. The owner's asking rent is not published.

Watch outnew applicants come after returning residents. The City says "Current Clement Kern Gardens residents will receive priority to return to the redeveloped site". How many assisted apartments will be left for new applicants is not published.

For other counties and household sizes, use the Section 8 income limits tool.

Rendering of two three-story red brick buildings with large black-framed windows and dark gray corner bays along a street, with people walking and cycling past — The developer's 2023 rendering of the two buildings of flats on 10th Street. Photo: American Community Developers, from its Design Review presentation of June 2, 2023, filed with the Detroit Historic District Commission, developer rendering, via detroitmi.gov (resized).

Using a Housing Voucher at Clement Kern Gardens

A voucher you already hold matters for the 90 apartments without assistance: 58 income-restricted and 32 at market rate.

What is settled and what to ask

Assistance attached to the apartmentit stays with the apartment. You do not bring a voucher to it or take it with you when you leave.
Apartments without assistanceMichigan law bars a landlord with five or more units from denying a tenancy "based on the source of income" of a renter and, where it requires "a certain threshold level of income", from excluding "a rent voucher or subsidy" (MCL 554.601c). See whether landlords have to accept Section 8.
State tax-credit ruleMSHDA's compliance manual lists "imposing minimum income requirements for Section 8/HCV participants" as a prohibited practice.
If the rent is over the standardyou pay the difference, and federal rules bar your agency from approving a new lease if your share would top 40% of your adjusted monthly income (24 CFR 982.508).

State maximum rent at the 80% level against voucher and area rent figures for ZIP code 48216, dollars a month

State maximum at 80%MSHDA payment standardHUD fair market rent

Studio

$1,468

$891

$880

One-bedroom

$1,573

$990

$980

Two-bedroom

$1,888

$1,243

$1,230

Three-bedroom

$2,180

$1,518

$1,500

View the data table

Size	State maximum at 80%	MSHDA payment standard	HUD fair market rent
Studio	$1,468	$891	$880
One-bedroom	$1,573	$990	$980
Two-bedroom	$1,888	$1,243	$1,230
Three-bedroom	$2,180	$1,518	$1,500

What it means: at every size the 80% maximum is $577 to $662 above MSHDA's payment standard. A voucher works at one of these apartments only if the owner's actual rent is at or near the standard.

Source: MSHDA's 2026 rent limits; its Housing Choice Voucher Payment Standards effective December 2, 2025, ZIP code 48216, unchanged in the schedule for December 2, 2026; HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents for fiscal year 2027. All three include utilities.

Two agencies issue vouchers in Detroit. The Detroit Housing Commission has not published a 2026 table of its own; HUD's table for fiscal year 2026 lists $900 for a one-bedroom in 48216. See how much Section 8 pays in Detroit and the Detroit Section 8 guide.
Utilities: who pays them is not published. See how the Section 8 utility allowance works.

How the Caps Compare With Rents in ZIP Code 48216

At the 30% and 40% levels the State's caps sit below HUD's estimate of local rent. At 60% and 80% they sit above it.

State maximum rent for a one-bedroom at each income level against HUD's fiscal year 2027 fair market rent for ZIP code 48216, dollars a month

State maximumHUD fair market rent, ZIP 48216

30%

$589

$980

40%

$786

$980

50%

$983

$980

60%

$1,179

$980

80%

$1,573

$980

View the data table

Level	State maximum	HUD fair market rent, ZIP 48216
30%	$589	$980
40%	$786	$980
50%	$983	$980
60%	$1,179	$980
80%	$1,573	$980

What it means: the 30% and 40% maximums are $391 and $194 under HUD's figure. The 50% maximum is $3 over it, the 60% maximum $199 over and the 80% maximum $593 over.

Source: MSHDA's 2026 rent limits; HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents for fiscal year 2027, in effect since October 1, 2026: HUD's estimate of the 40th-percentile rent in the ZIP code, utilities included.

What 30% of income comes to: on $20,000 a year, $500 a month. That is $480 under HUD's figure for a one-bedroom in 48216.
Rent data for this ZIP code: see Section 8 rent limits for 48216.
Apartments nearby: see voucher apartments in 48216, in Corktown and in North Corktown.

Rendering of a four-story red and dark brick apartment building with balconies, a glass ground floor at the corner and a railing around a rooftop terrace — The developer's 2023 rendering of West of 10th, the building for renters 55 and older. Photo: American Community Developers, from its Design Review presentation of June 2, 2023, filed with the Detroit Historic District Commission, developer rendering, via detroitmi.gov (resized).

Preferences and What the Buildings Will Include

Returning residents come first, one development has an age rule, and the planned features differ by building.

Preferences and set-asides

Returning residentspriority to return, in the City's release. Its environmental assessment adds: "All residents will be given the right to return to the site upon completion."
AgeWest of 10th is "designed specifically for seniors aged 55 and older", in the City's release.
Accessible apartments5 at West of 10th and 9 at Trumbull, in MSHDA's reports.
Voucher apartments8 at West of 10th and 13 at Trumbull. Their target groups are not published, and neither building was on MSHDA's Wayne County list on October 7, 2026.

Planned features, building by building

Bagley Townhomes & Flatsa washer and dryer in each apartment, central air, a dishwasher and a community room of about 1,000 square feet. The 12 townhomes have three bedrooms, two and a half baths and about 1,900 square feet.
West of 10thrange, refrigerator, microwave and dishwasher, central air, washer and dryer hookups, a community room, on-site management and a rooftop terrace.
Trumbullstudios of 420 square feet, one-bedrooms of 575 and two-bedrooms of 1,075, with central air, dishwashers, a community room and a rooftop terrace. MSHDA's report says "in-unit washers and dryers"; the City's assessment says hookups.
Shared"outdoor play space for families", in the City's release. The West of 10th and Trumbull permits include ground-floor commercial space.

What it means: these are plans filed before construction. Ask what is in the apartment you are offered.

Source: City environmental assessments; MSHDA staff reports; City permits BLD2023-02148 to 02151, BLD2024-02367 and BLD2025-00865; City release.

Rendering of a four-story white and charcoal apartment building on a street corner with a glass-walled top floor at the corner and glass along the ground floor — The developer's 2023 rendering of Trumbull Apartments, the largest of the three with 88 apartments. Photo: American Community Developers, from its Design Review presentation of June 2, 2023, filed with the Detroit Historic District Commission, developer rendering, via detroitmi.gov (resized).

How to Apply for an Apartment at Clement Kern Gardens

No application for the new buildings is published. The one official listing is on Detroit Home Connect, and it shows a waiting list.

What Detroit Home Connect shows for 1661 Bagley Street
Field	What the record holds
Name	Clement Kern Gardens
Type	Affordable Housing, with "Section 8 Vouchers"
Apartment	One-bedroom at 60% of area median income, flagged as a waiting list
Rent	The number 30 and no dollar rent
Phone	313-965-5650
Dates	Created May 12, 2026; last updated July 14, 2026

What it means: the listing does not say whether it covers the older apartments still standing or the new buildings. The 30 in the rent field reads as 30% of income; that is VoucherMatch's reading, not the listing's words.

Source: Detroit Home Connect, record for 1661 Bagley Street, read October 7, 2026.

Getting on a list at Clement Kern Gardens

1Pick the development that fitsWest of 10th if you are 55 or older, Bagley Townhomes & Flats if you need three bedrooms, Trumbull or the flats for a studio to a two-bedroom.
2Check your incomeagainst the table above.
3Call 313-965-5650, the number on Home Connect. Ask which buildings the waiting list is for and how to get on it.
4Ask about the 21 voucher apartments.A housing agency's list fills them. MSHDA says "You cannot apply online to a project-based voucher waiting list."
5Ask five thingsthe rent, who pays utilities, whether the apartment has assistance attached, the income limit that applies, and the move-in date.
6Keep a recordthe date you called and the name of the person you spoke to.

Documents to have ready

Government ID. for each adult; for West of 10th, one showing your date of birth
Proof of income. pay stubs, benefit award letters or a tax return
Social Security cards. and birth certificates for the household
Bank statements. and other asset records
For a returning resident. your lease or relocation paperwork from Clement Kern Gardens

Source: no document list is published for these buildings. This one is VoucherMatch's, from what a tax-credit building with rent assistance has to verify. Ask the office for its own.

Rendering of a playground with a slide, climbing logs and a wood-chip surface beside a three-story brick building, with trees and a black fence — The developer's 2023 rendering of the play space beside the flats. Photo: American Community Developers, from its Design Review presentation of June 2, 2023, filed with the Detroit Historic District Commission, developer rendering, via detroitmi.gov (resized).

What Is Known and What Is Not Yet Published

City and State records settle the counts, income levels and rent assistance. Rents, opening dates and an application are not published.

Known and not yet known, as of October 7, 2026

Known188 apartments, 156 income-restricted; 98 with rent assistance; an age rule of 55 at West of 10th; priority for returning residents.
Sources disagree on two countsBagley Townhomes & Flats has 54 apartments in the City's release and dataset, and its four permits add to 55. Trumbull has 88 in the release, the dataset and MSHDA's report, and 90 on its permit.
Sources disagree on eight vouchersthe City's release calls the West of 10th vouchers MSHDA's. MSHDA's own report says "The Detroit Housing Commission is expected to award" them.
Not publishedrents, opening dates, an application, who pays utilities, parking cost, pet rules, fees and deposits, and how many households are returning.
Planned nextthe City's assessments describe 370 apartments when the whole site is rebuilt. A later phase, Bagley Central, won tax credits in December 2025.

Home Connect's number, 313-965-5650, is the place to ask about the not-published line. MSHDA's reports give the developer's office number as 313-881-8150.

If You Need an Apartment Sooner

None of the three developments is finished, so keep other options moving.

Voucher in hand: browse Section 8 apartments in Detroit, or go straight to one-bedrooms or three-bedrooms.
No voucher yet: both Detroit voucher waiting lists were closed on October 6, 2026. Check which waiting lists are open and the Wayne County page.
A building with vouchers attached, nearby: Left Field, 2610 Cochrane Street in Corktown, was on the Detroit Housing Commission's project-based voucher list on October 6, 2026, with one-bedrooms and the office number (313) 351-0145.
Older renters: see low-income senior apartments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the new Clement Kern Gardens open?

Not yet, as of October 7, 2026. The City's dataset listed all three developments as under construction on October 2, 2026. No opening date is published.

How much is rent at Clement Kern Gardens?

No rent schedule is published. In 98 apartments with rent assistance, the tenant's share follows income, generally 30% of adjusted income. The developer's vice president told WXYZ rents start "as low as 5 and 600 dollars per month".

Who can live in the new buildings?

Households under an income limit of 30% to 80% of area median income, depending on the apartment. West of 10th is for renters 55 and older. In 2026 a family of four can earn up to $83,840 at the 80% level.

Does Clement Kern Gardens take Section 8?

Rent assistance is already attached to 98 apartments: 77 under HUD contracts and 21 with project-based vouchers. For the other 90, Michigan law bars a landlord from refusing a renter over a voucher.

How do you apply for Clement Kern Gardens?

No application for the new buildings is published. Detroit Home Connect lists Clement Kern Gardens at 1661 Bagley Street with a waiting list and the number 313-965-5650. Ask which buildings the list covers.

Can former Clement Kern Gardens residents move back?

Yes. The City says current residents "will receive priority to return to the redeveloped site", and its environmental assessment says all residents "will be given the right to return to the site upon completion."

What are Bagley Townhomes & Flats on 10th, West of 10th and Trumbull Apartments?

The three developments being built on the Clement Kern Gardens site: 54 apartments at 1563 Bagley Street, 46 one-bedrooms for renters 55 and older at 1601 Bagley, and 88 apartments at 1501 Bagley.

Sources for this article (20)

multifamily housing dataset (data.detroitmi.gov)
building permits (data.detroitmi.gov)
release of June 1, 2026 (detroitmi.gov)
Bagley Townhomes and Flats on 10th (detroitmi.gov)
West of 10th (detroitmi.gov)
Trumbull (detroitmi.gov)
Home Connect listing (homeconnect.detroitmi.gov)
2023 design presentation (detroitmi.gov)
staff report (detroitmi.gov)
May 22, 2025 (web.archive.org)
September 18, 2025 (web.archive.org)
2026 income and rent limits (michigan.gov)
payment standards (michigan.gov)
DDOT Bus Stops dataset (data.detroitmi.gov)
24 CFR 5.628 (law.cornell.edu)
MCL 554.601c (legislature.mi.gov)
compliance manual (michigan.gov)
24 CFR 982.508 (law.cornell.edu)
Small Area Fair Market Rents (huduser.gov)
project-based voucher list (dhcmi.org)

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Every rule, date and dollar amount in this article is checked against the agency document it comes from, and the sources are listed above. How VoucherMatch articles are researched and corrected