Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan: A Sustainable Mixed-Income Housing Development Brings Housing Downtown

January 5, 2023  

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan: A Sustainable Mixed-Income Housing Development Brings Housing Downtown

HUD User publishes a series of case studies based on federal, state, and local strategies that increase affordable housing opportunities and support sustainable community development. The projects and community development efforts featured in these reports have demonstrated innovation through a multitude of partnerships and initiatives.

Osborn Commons is a 65-unit residential development in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Almost all of the one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments are reserved for households earning less than 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), with some reserved for households earning less than 30 percent AMI. Osborn Commons was developed in a sustainable and climate-conscious manner with low-emission materials, ENERGY STAR^® appliances, and low-flow water fixtures. These design features, coupled with its location in a walkable urban environment, led to a United States Green Building Council LEED Homes Award in the Outstanding Affordable Projects category and its LEED Gold certification. This development, which includes a ground-level market, also helps the city better connect downtown’s two major commercial corridors by bringing new activity to an underutilized parcel between the districts. 

Visit HUD User’s Case Studies page to learn more about affordable housing and to view other innovative community revitalization strategies.

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