City of Detroit

Client's Needs

National Faith Homebuyers (NFH), in partnership with the City of Detroit, was awarded the opportunity to manage the Detroit Down Payment Assistance (Detroit DPA) program, a federally funded initiative with over $6 million allocated to assist eligible Detroit residents in purchasing homes. NFH and the City of Detroit required a professional and functional website to effectively manage this program. The site needed to serve as an accessible platform for potential applicants to learn about the program, determine their eligibility, and securely submit applications. Critical requirements included an eligibility questionnaire, a secure multi-page online application, and educational resources to ensure applicants understood the program’s benefits and requirements.

Our Solution

Detroit Website Design collaborated closely with National Faith Homebuyers and the City of Detroit to create a robust and user-friendly website tailored to the needs of the Detroit DPA program. The site was designed from the ground up to reflect the program’s mission of empowering Detroit residents to achieve homeownership while ensuring ease of access and security for applicants.

We integrated an intuitive eligibility questionnaire, allowing users to quickly determine if they qualified for assistance. A secure, multi-page online application was developed to handle sensitive applicant data while ensuring compliance with privacy and security standards. To further enhance user experience, we filmed and produced educational videos in our in-house studio, providing clear and engaging explanations of the program and the application process.

Our team also automated key elements of the application workflow, streamlining the submission and review process for NFH and the City of Detroit. The result was a comprehensive, scalable platform that facilitated the efficient management of the Detroit DPA program.

The success of the program speaks for itself. In 2023, the website received over 500 applications, and the program was renewed in 2024. Additionally, due to its effectiveness and impact, the U.S. government granted an additional $6 million to the Detroit DPA program, furthering its reach and impact in the community. In total, $12.25 million was used to support first-time homebuyers with the Detroit DPA program in 2023.