The greatest housing need in the City of Detroit is for individuals and families at or below 50% of the Area Median Income. Historically, most development in Detroit has not addressed the needs of this segment of the population especially in recent times. As a result, City Council passed Inclusionary Housing Ordinance authored by Council President Mary Sheffield which included the creation of a housing trust fund called the Detroit Affordable Housing Development and Preservation Fund (DAHDPF) or "Housing Trust Fund." President Sheffield initially secured $2 million and 20% of Detroit commercial real estate sales for funding for the Housing Trust Fund. Listening to her affordable housing taskforce she increased the funding by requiring 40% of Detroit's commercial real estate sales for funding. She has also negotiated contribution to the fund when major developments project sought tax abatements.

Mary Sheffield been a champion of the Senior Home Repair Grant for as long as she has been elected to serve on City Council. During her first several years on Council, the administration attempted to shift funding from the program in favor of the 0% Home Loan Program. Every budget season before 2021, she's secured as much as $2.5 million per year for the home repair grant program. The Senior Home Repair Grant program provides recipients up to $15,000 for needed home repairs such as roof and window replacement. The program has been so successful at helping seniors safely stay in their homes that it inspired the federally funded Renew Detroit program, which now provides home repair grants for 1,000 households every year.

The Property Tax Reform Ordinance put forth by Council President Mary Sheffield represents a significant step forward in addressing the long-standing issue of property tax reform within the City of Detroit. Recognizing the urgency of the matter, this ordinance places a strong emphasis on transparency throughout the property tax process.

One of its key provisions is the establishment of a comprehensive property record database, which will serve as a centralized repository of property information. This database will not only streamline the assessment process but also make critical property data readily available to the public, fostering a greater sense of accountability and trust in the system. Additionally, the ordinance introduces a renewed notice process, ensuring that property owners receive timely and clear notifications regarding their tax obligations.
In sum, the Property Tax Reform Ordinance has installed the appropriate checks and balances in the assessment process to ensure residents are no longer systemically over-assessed in direct violation of the Michigan Constitution. As a result, tax foreclosures will be reduced, and Detroiters will be able afford more home improvements and create more generational wealth.

Council President Mary Sheffield worked with the Coalition for Property Tax Justice and the Administration to comprise and pass a historic resolution authorizing legal methods of compensation for homeowners who were unconstitutionally over assessed between 2009-2016.

Working since 2020 to identify remedies that would attempt to begin to make affected homeowners whole, she knew it was important to take the first step towards restoration. Through budget deliberations and over the last several years, she has kept over-assessed homeowners at the forefront of the public policy debates before City Council. Below are the remedies that were created in the initial attempt to repair the harm done to Detroit's homeowners:

- $6 million discount program for the purchase of a Detroit Land Bank Authority home or side lot,
- Preferential access and placement in the $12 million Grow Detroit's Young Talent (GDYT) Program for children of Affected Homeowners ages 14-24,
- Prioritization in any City home repair program as permitted by law,
- Preferential access to the $6 million Down Payment Assistance Program,
- Financial/technical assistance for affected homeowners who are also small business owners under the $6.25 million Small Business Launcher Program.

Council President Sheffield's remains focused on finding ways to provide cash compensation and/or tax credits to affected homeowners. Currently, she is pursuing state law changes to allow for this methods of restoring affected homeowners.

Since 2017, when Sheffield sponsored the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance, the discussion around housing, affordability, and the future of development in Detroit has been forever changed. The first of its kind legislation mandated that developers seeking taxpayer-funded assistance on their multifamily projects must set 20% of the units as affordable. What was rare in 2017, has now become the standard for residential development in Detroit in 2024. This ordinance has created thousands of affordable housing units throughout the entire city of Detroit.

The Michigan Constitution states that no property should be assessed at more than 50 percent of its market value. From 2009 to 2016, between 55 and 85 percent of Detroit homes have been unconstitutionally assessed. As a result, approximately 1 in 4 Detroit properties were foreclosed from 2011 to 2015, which resulted in massive displacement of residents, an increase in blighted properties, and vastly reduced home values. In 2016, nearly 40,000 owner-occupied households - or 32% of all Detroit homeowners - qualified for the HPTAP, but the vast majority did not receive it either because they were not aware it existed or because the process was too burdensome.

Council President Sheffield, along with the Coalition to End Unconstitutional Tax Foreclosures are proposing an ordinance, which ensures that Detroit homeowners have access to the City's Homeowners Property Tax Assistance Program (HPTAP), also known as the Poverty Tax Exemption (PTE). The ordinance aims to codify the requirements stipulated by the 2018 Morningside v. Sabree settlement order and propose additional changes that will prevent further hardship to Detroit homeowners by ensuring the HPTAP is readily available, easily obtainable, and equitably provided to all who qualify.

During the March 2023 City Council Budget deliberations, Council President Sheffield secured an unprecedented $900,000 in City funding to continue operations of the Coordinated Assessment Model (CAM), the primary intake program for all emergency homeless shelters in Detroit. The CAM, which acts as the coordinated entry system for homelessness services as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), faced a more than $1 million funding gap that would have seriously jeopardized services for the thousands of vulnerable Detroiters who go through the shelter system. The funding she secured, along with a grant from the Homeless Action Network of Detroit, ensured that the CAM continues to operate at its full capacity and provides entry intake and supportive services for all who need it.

According to published studies, at least half of all tenants fighting eviction would not lose their case if they had legal representation. Additionally, about 97% of cases in housing court are initiated by landlords, and almost all landlords have representation while the vast majority of tenants do not. This results in landlords evicting tenants because they have power, not because the law supports them, ultimately causing the City's population to decrease and increasing the need for supportive housing services.

The Right to Counsel Ordinance, sponsored by Council President Sheffield was passed on May 10, 2022, amending the current City Housing Code. This amendment would require the City of Detroit to furnish comprehensive legal representation to low-income residents confronting eviction and foreclosure proceedings in 36th District Court. The services offered encompass legal guidance, advocacy, court appearances, and any other essential support. All eligible individuals will receive full legal representation through a competitively procured non-profit organization.