St Clair Shores Housing Comm

Pros

• The environment is described as very clean.
• The workers are described as very nice.
• The area is relaxing, with friendly people and a courtyard that makes it feel like home.
• The staff are very kind and thorough in the approval process, and the facility is very clean.
• The location by the water is quiet and offers some fun activities.
• The office staff are caring, nice, and willing to answer questions and explain things.

Cons

• They could not find a home for themselves and their children after receiving a voucher during the pandemic.
• They feel the vouchers expired due to the pandemic and were not reissued or re-added to the list, which they view as unfair.
• They have been waiting for almost three years for their own apartment.
• They have waited many years on the waiting list with little progress, which makes them feel ignored and discriminated.
• The three-bedroom rule for a family of four results in rooms that are too small to fit furniture; they would need a four-bedroom unit.
• The area has many sex offenders and crime according to a background check, which concerns them.
• They blame management changes and government actions for stress and for making it hard to feel free living there.
• They feel that nothing will be fixed and that the situation is terrible.

Review

Across these comments, a shared thread emerges from a difficult time and an ongoing wait for stable housing. In 2021, when the pandemic hit hardest, many people found themselves holding housing vouchers and hoping for relief. Some describe being on top of the list or receiving a voucher, only to face the harsh reality that finding a suitable home for themselves and their children became a new kind of struggle. The protection of the moment - state rent payments and eviction moratoriums - meant short-term relief, but it did not guarantee long-term housing. People recall a time when landlords could not evict, and the system seemed to work in the short run, yet the stress and uncertainty persisted as protections faded and the housing market remained tight. The overall tone blends gratitude for the initial help with frustration at what followed, as many felt the system did not do enough to convert temporary protections into lasting stability.

A recurrent concern is the loss or disappearance of vouchers when the emergency period ended. Several voices suggest that vouchers were not reissued or simply added back to the waiting lists after the pandemic lifted, leaving families stranded. "They could've been more understanding," one reviewer laments, noting that even those who received vouchers could not secure a home once the protections ended. The sentiment that a reset or reissuance could have made a real difference runs through the comments, reflecting a sense that the abrupt transition out of emergency measures left people without a safety net just when they needed it most.

Time becomes a major obstacle in its own right. Waiting lists stretch for years, with some reporting three years of waiting for their own apartment and others claiming six years on the list. One person confesses, "Been on the waiting list for 6 years my number only goes up," a stark reminder of how slowly the system moves and how the burden falls on people who may be coping with other challenges. The frustration is intensified by the perception that race and other personal factors compound the delay: "I hate being black" speaks to a desire for fairness and equal treatment in a process that feels opaque and unresponsive to individual circumstances.

Practical constraints loom even when a unit finally appears as a possibility. The reviews recount a rigid rule requiring three bedrooms for a family of four, which clashes with real-life needs. A single parent explains that the rooms were "so tiny there was no way I could fit my bedset & dresser into what was considered the master room." The mismatch between policy and family needs - trying to house children with adequate space while meeting room-size requirements - leaves families with no easy answer. In one case, the person hoped for a four-bedroom unit to accommodate two boys, a requirement that simply could not be met with the available options. The dream of a home becomes entangled with background checks on nearby addresses, where a mile-radius search revealed sex offenders and crime - factors beyond the control of office staff, yet central to the hesitation and concern about where a family might safely settle.

Throughout the set of reflections, there is also a strong thread of positive, human-centered experiences. Several reviewers praise the staff for being "very sweet," "truly caring," and "very thorough in the approval process." They describe a clean, well-maintained environment and a sense that the offices were supportive and responsive. One person even notes that the surroundings feel like a home-like space with a courtyard and a quiet atmosphere by the water, offering a few moments of relief and a sense of community. In these accounts, the staff are not merely administrators; they are sources of reassurance in a system that can feel impersonal and slow.

Yet the praise for staff coexists with sharper criticisms of management and governmental policy. A couple of voices point to changes in management and label the current conditions as stressful or even oppressive, especially for someone with a nervous condition. The line "Used to be a nice place to abide. But nowadays because of management change, & greedy government (Gov. Whitmer), it's impossible to feel free living here. Too much stress" captures a strong emotional indictment of both local leadership and broader policy decisions. Another blunt assessment - "Will not fix anything . terrible" - suggests a perception that problems persist without meaningful improvement, even as staff try to help.

Despite the challenges, there is still a sense of community and hopeful persistence. Families speak of looking at homes with excitement, of meeting office staff who listen and answer questions, and of wanting to be near familiar places like St. Clair Shores. The combination of admiration for the staff's care and the longing for a stable, affordable home is palpable. The reviewers express gratitude for the efforts of those who work in the offices, even as they acknowledge the constraints in policy, budget, and availability that shape what is possible.

Ultimately, these voices illuminate a paradox at the heart of affordable housing programs during and after the pandemic: there is genuine care and support from frontline staff, a patient empathy for families navigating complex rules, and a sincere desire for safe, spacious homes close to community networks. At the same time, systemic barriers - prolonged waiting periods, inflexible bedroom requirements, background-check hurdles, and political or administrative shifts - create ongoing friction that hinders even the most hopeful families from achieving stability. The overall message is one of resilience mixed with frustration, a plea for reissuance or reset of voucher protections when the crisis ends, and a call for more thoughtful alignment between policy, unit availability, and the real-life needs of families seeking a place to call home.

Located in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, this neighborhood offers a variety of amenities within close proximity. With a range of dining options such as Mike's on the Water and McDonald's, as well as pharmacies like Rite Aid and Walgreens nearby, residents have easy access to essential services. The area also features several parks for outdoor recreation, including Lac St Claire Park and McKinley Park. For spiritual nourishment, there are churches like St Joan Of Arc Church and Lakeside Community Church in the vicinity. Additionally, seniors can enjoy a leisurely afternoon at cafes like Tim Hortons or Panera Bread. With hospitals like St John Hospital & Medical Center and McLaren Macomb - Emergency Department nearby, residents can feel assured of quality healthcare facilities in the area. Overall, this part of St. Clair Shores provides a convenient and vibrant environment for senior living.

Restaurants

• Mike's on the Water (0.2 miles)
• McDonald's (0.7 miles)
• Shores Inn Food & Spirits (0.8 miles)
• Little Caesars Pizza (1.4 miles)
• Wally's Frozen Custard (1.4 miles)
• Cold Cow Ice Cream (1.5 miles)
• Gilbert's Lodge (1.5 miles)

Physicians

• Pointes Allergy And As (0.7 miles)
• Beaumont East Area Family Physicians (3.4 miles)
• Henry Ford Macomb Family Medicine & Gynecology (5.9 miles)
• McLaren Building (6.6 miles)

Pharmacies

• Rite Aid (0.8 miles)
• Rite Aid (1 miles)
• Walgreens (1.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.6 miles)
• Walgreens (2.1 miles)
• Walgreens (2.6 miles)

Parks

• Lac St Claire Park (1.5 miles)
• McKinley Park (5.4 miles)
• Center Line Memorial Park (7.4 miles)
• Matthew C Patterson Park (7.6 miles)
• Windmill Pointe Park (8.1 miles)
• Lake St Clair Metropark (8.4 miles)
• Wilson Park (8.4 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Joan Of Arc Church (1.7 miles)
• Lakeside Community Church (4.4 miles)
• Grosse Pointe United Methodist Church (4.4 miles)
• Trinity Lutheran Church (7.6 miles)
• St Peter Catholic Church (8.8 miles)

Cafes

• Tim Hortons (1.9 miles)
• Panera Bread (4.2 miles)
• Biggby Coffee (7.3 miles)
• Starbucks (8.5 miles)
• Starbucks (8.5 miles)

Hospitals

• St John Hospital & Medical Center (4 miles)
• Select Specialty Hospital (4 miles)
• Henry Ford Medical Center (5.4 miles)
• St John Macomb Hospital (6.4 miles)
• St John Macomb-Oakland Hospital Warren Emergency Care (6.4 miles)
• McLaren Macomb - Emergency Department (7.8 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Star Gratiot 15 (5.9 miles)