Cinnaire Community Connection
Advancing Equity and Expanding Opportunity
Many of the key factors influencing a person’s quality of life depend directly on the neighborhood where that person lives. Access to quality, affordable housing, employment opportunities, good schools, healthcare and general well-being are several of the key factors impacting the quality of life Cinnaire focuses on in our work in Detroit. By working closely with community development organizations and other local partners, we take a comprehensive approach to advance community-driven development plans to create and sustain opportunity rich, poverty resilient, vibrant healthy communities.
Our work is informed by a commitment to equitable community development that recognizes the negative impact and historic roots of anti-Black racism, disparate access to resources, and marginalization of disinvested communities in our targeted cities.  We believe that residents are best positioned to voice the needs of their community.  We listen and apply our expertise and resources to advance the communities’ plans.
Cinnaire does its work through four divisions:
- Cinnaire’s Equity Group manages its Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) platform, as well as other innovative capital solutions.
- Cinnaire Lending provides debt financing for affordable housing and other community development projects including the management of the New Markets Tax Credit program.
- Cinnaire Solutions provides consulting support to a broad range of community development projects and can serve as a full-service financial partner or as a master developer for innovative community development projects.
- Cinnaire Title offers title insurance services and full escrow services throughout the Cinnaire footprint.
Cinnaire Community Connection Initiatives
Advancing Communities Through Homeownership
A lease purchase initiative designed to create a best practice model to provide families renting single family scattered site low-income housing tax credit homes in Detroit an opportunity to own their homes. The program will ultimately transition up to 188 renters to homeowners. 60 families to date have successfully completed the five-step program: save $1,000, debt to income < 40%, 12 months on-time rent payments, 24 months steady employment or source of income, completion of homebuyer education course.
Jumpstart Wilmington
Cinnaire launched Jumpstart Wilmington in 2020 to help Wilmington residents become developers of their own neighborhoods through quality, community-focused real estate development training and financing options. Increasing local developer capacity is key to scaling development activity and revitalizing communities. Jumpstart Wilmington provides aspiring developers who live in Wilmington with the skills, knowledge, and support they need to rehabilitate key properties, one at a time. In 2021, Jumpstart Wilmington launched a loan program to support graduates’ capital needs to acquire and rehabilitate properties.
My New Wilmington Home
Cinnaire launched My New Wilmington Home in partnership with Stand By Me Delaware to help Wilmington residents achieve the dream of homeownership. The program offers free, private, one-on-one financial coaching from trained professionals who help potential homeowners learn how to set budgets, manage expenses and improve their credit score. Upon successful completion of the program, participants will have the opportunity to build generational wealth through the purchase of new affordable townhouses starting at less than $99,000.
NextGenNow
NextGenNow was developed to create the next generation of Detroit real estate developers by Increasing exposure to community and real estate development for Detroit high school students. Cinnaire is partnering with Project Destined, a social impact program offering a six-week paid internship for students of color through immersive sessions with experienced architects, contractors, bankers and developers.
WE Build
Women Empowered to Build (WE Build) was launched in December of 2020 in the Detroit Market to provide mentoring and capital to Black- and women-led development firms to accelerate the fundability, stability and growth of their real estate development businesses. Cinnaire provides technical assistance and mentorship to WE Build developers with roundtables and trainings addressing issues and challenges that emerging developers may encounter throughout the development process. The program celebrated its inaugural graduation with five accomplished women in 2023.
Sherita Smith
Senior Vice President
Cinnaire Community Connection
(313) 544-4015
Our Locations
Home Office - Lansing
1118 South Washington
Lansing MI, 48910
Indianapolis
320 North Meridian, Suite 516
Indianapolis IN, 46204
Wilmington
100 W. 10th Street, Suite 502
Wilmington, DE 19801
Chicago
225 West Washington, Suite 1350
Chicago, IL 60606
Madison
10 E. Doty Street, Suite 617
Madison, WI 53703
Grand Rapids
100 Cesar E. Chavez Ave., Suite 202
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Detroit
2111 Woodward Avenue, Suite 600
Detroit, MI 48201
Milwaukee
231 E. Buffalo Street, Suite 302
Milwaukee, WI 53202
