Housing Solidarity 2024

January 15, 2024
Housing Justice

Housing Solidarity!

Everyone deserves a safe, affordable, and accessible place to call home. In Detroit’s majority renter city, we need viable solutions to housing insecurity. As a community we believe in, work towards, and invest in stabilizing Detroiters throughout their lifecycle. Therefore, homeowners, tenants and unhoused Detroiters can stand together in agreement, purpose, and solidarity that demands prevention, protections, and financial supports as fundamental strategies for addressing persistent housing insecurities and Detroit’s housing crisis. Why do we need a housing solidarity stance?

1. THE PRESENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MODEL IN DETROIT UNDERSERVES THE COMMUNITY. The current economic development model in Detroit is extractive and invest hundreds of millions of dollars in public tax investments to billionaire developers without mandates that support vulnerable community members (low-income tenants and families, houseless residents, and low-income homeowners). At the same time, underfunded housing programs result in unhoused and underserved Detroit residents exacerbating the city’s homeless problem. In 2022 Mayor Duggan’s administration announced the development of 1600 new affordable housing units at 60% of area median income (AMI). This means, a 3-person household with an annual income of $57,000 can qualify for this level of affordability. Yet, according to the Detroit city Website 750 units, half of the much-needed affordable developments are on hold.

2. DETROIT’S NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT PLANS ARE NOT COMPREHENSIVE.  The city’s planning framework has identified 10 Strategic Neighborhoods that are designated to get much needed improvements. The Planning Department has created framework plans that include commercial corridors as a commitment to neighborhood improvement. Yet, the plans proposed don’t address housing insecurities, inadequate public transportation, lack of city services or the need for education & recreational institutions.

3. AFFORDABILITY IS A NATIONAL CRISIS. Detroit is a majority renter city and most of us will face housing instability in the absence of a robust housing plan put forth by the city coupled with strong renter protections.  The number of renters is likely to increase as some residents age and seek smaller and more accessible housing accommodations. According to data from The GAP report issued by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) in 2023 Michigan has 36 available and affordable homes per 100 extremely low-income households.

Addressing housing insecurities should be a movement that acknowledges the urgency for collective investment that results in well-being, belonging and housing security for us all.

Recommendations for Housing Solidarity 2024

Promote Housing Security in Detroit by:  

POLICY DEMANDS:

  • Administration & City Council members support their constituents quality of life through strong policy legislation and implementation.
  • The Affordable Housing and Preservation Fund is appropriately funded.
  • Advance investments that support Detroit’s public housing stock.

ORGANZE:

  • Join Detroit People’s Platform (DPP) housing justice team.
    contact: kea@detroitpeoplesplatform.org

Housing Citations