Published: August 11, 2026
The site at 810 Lincoln Ave. didn’t look like much on Wednesday morning. A stretch of ground, a row of chairs, a line of shovels waiting.
By late 2027, it will be 40 homes.
On Aug. 5, Community Housing Network broke ground on Lincoln Avenue Lofts—a $17.5 million development that marks Community Housing Network’s first project in St. Clair County. It’s a milestone for the organization. It’s a bigger one for Port Huron.
How it started
In the spring of 2023, Community Housing Network and the City of Port Huron began talking about the city’s need for high-quality, affordable housing. Not a hypothetical need. A pressing one.
Those conversations led Community Housing Network to the site, and to Jim Dewey, executive director of the Algonac and Port Huron housing commissions. The Algonac Housing Commission came on as Community Housing Network’s development partner. Three years of work followed.
“Today’s groundbreaking marks the culmination of more than three years of hard work and perseverance by many people and organizations,” said Kirsten Elliott, president and CEO of Community Housing Network. “When completed, Lincoln Avenue Lofts will give 40 Port Huron households a safe, high-quality and affordable place to call home.”
What’s being built
Lincoln Avenue Lofts will include 38 one- and two-bedroom apartments in a new four-story building, plus two one-bedroom apartments in a duplex.
The homes will serve households earning up to 60% of the area median income. Twenty units are reserved for permanent supportive housing. Another 11 will receive project-based vouchers from the Port Huron Housing Commission—deepening affordability for the residents who need it most. Every home stays income-restricted for 45 years.
Each apartment will include Energy Star appliances and in-unit laundry. The four-story building will have an elevator, and six units will be fully accessible. Residents will share a community center built for programming, services, and private gatherings. The development is designed to meet Enterprise Green Communities Plus standards.
It also sits within walking distance of downtown Port Huron—close to jobs, close to the things that make a place feel like yours.
“The affordable housing crisis is real throughout the nation and within our own community,” said Dewey. “We are excited to partner with Community Housing Network to bring 40 new affordable apartments within walking distance to our downtown district.”
Who made it possible
Groundbreakings look like one moment. They’re actually the sum of many.
Community Housing Network is the developer in partnership with the Algonac Housing Commission. Oakwood Construction is the general contractor, Hooker DeJong is the architect of record, and Piper Management will serve as property management agent.
Financing came from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, JPMorgan Chase, Walker & Dunlop, Grandbridge, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis with member sponsor Genisys Credit Union—including $13.3 million in tax credit equity and a $500,000 Affordable Housing Program grant.
What’s next
Construction begins this month. Completion and lease-up are anticipated in late 2027.
Forty households will get keys. And a stretch of ground on Lincoln Avenue will become an address people get to call home.