Brewster Homes

Between 1910 and 1940 Detroit’s African American population increased dramatically. Faced with restrictions on where they could live, many African Americans were forced into substandard housing. In 1935 First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt broke ground for the Brewster Homes, the nation’s first federally funded public housing development for African Americans. The homes opened in 1938 with 701 units. When completed in 1941 there were 941 units bounded by Beaubien, Hastings, Mack, and Wilkins Streets. Residents were required to be employed and there were limits on what they could earn. Former residents described Brewster as “a community filled with families that displayed love, respect and concern for everyone” in a “beautiful, clean and secure neighborhood.” The original Brewster Homes were demolished in 1991 and replaced by 250 townhouses.