The Inner City Christian Federation is one of the oldest Community Development Corporations in the State of Michigan. It had its start as a volunteer organization called Project Conserve in 1974. Between 1974 and 1977, volunteers totally rehabilitated two vacant and deteriorated houses. In 1977, Project Conserve formally incorporated assuming the corporate structure of the Inner City Christian Foundation. Shortly thereafter, the name was changed to the Inner City Christian Federation. Between late 1977 and mid 1982, ICCF rehabilitated 12 additional houses with a combination of volunteer assistance, paid building trades employees and a youth employment training program. Because of funding difficulties, no houses were rehabilitated between October of 1982 and July of 1985. During this period, ICCF continued its community development services by painting and roofing houses owned by very low income Grand Rapids residents.

In 1985, ICCF returned to housing development through a program called Reconstruction for Lease/Purchase, which later came to be called the Lease/Purchase Program. From 1985 through 1991, the organization combined grant and loan dollars from the City of Grand Rapids and the State of Michigan to totally reconstruct 58 single family houses. In 1986, the Home Ownership Education Program was initiated and the first social work position filled. Houses were leased to qualified low or moderate income families for a two year period. During the lease period these families were required to complete ICCF's unique home ownership education program. After the two year lease period and upon successful completion of those classes, ICCF then sold the house to the leasing family. ICCF further assisted families by returning approximately 70% of accumulated rents, along with certain grant dollars. to assist in the purchase.

In 1989, ICCF began construction of a five unit emergency shelter called the Family Haven. From its opening in early 1990 through May, 2006, the Family Haven has served over 1345 homeless families with up to 30 days of clean, private and dignified no-cost emergency shelter. Approximately 80% find permanent housing by the time they leave Family Haven.

In 1990, ICCF entered the field of permanent rental housing production and management. Over the decade of the 90's, ICCF added a variety of rental units to its housing inventory. Sixty of these units were designed and built in the form of 30 three-bedroom duplexes. The remaining 36 units are to be found in assorted rehabilitated multi-unit buildings. The rents for these units range from $130/month to $632/month, depending on family income.

In 1993, ICCF completed its first newly constructed single family house for ownership. Since 1997, over 90% of the organization's annual single family house production has been through new construction. From the inception of the organization in 1974, over 270 single-family houses have been either reconstructed or newly constructed for home ownership purposes, bringing the total number of affordable housing units produced by ICCF to 474 units. Today ICCF builds or reconstructs 16-18 houses per year and serves over 2000 families annually.