Investing in Us: Resident Priorities for Economic Mobility in Detroit
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INVESTING IN US: RESIDENT PRIORITIES FOR ECONOMIC MOBILITY IN DETROIT SEPTEMBER 2020 A ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We also acknowledge the hard work of the organizations behind the reports referenced: This report was compiled by Poverty Allied Media Projects Jefferson East, Inc. Solutions at the University of Michigan ARISE Detroit Joy-Southfield Community Brightmoor Alliance Development Corporation with generous support from the Ballmer Building the Engine of LEAP Advisory Committee Group, with written contributions from Community Development in McDougall–Hunt Citizens the following organizations: American Detroit District Council Indian Services, Brilliant Detroit, Church of the Messiah Housing Mexicantown Community COTS, Detroit Action, Detroit Disability Corporation Development Corporation Power, Detroit Food Policy Council, Citizen Assembly Michigan Community Resources Global Detroit, Matrix Human Services, City of Detroit Michigan State University Civic Commons North Corktown Neighborhood Motor City Freedom Riders, Wayne Cody Rouge Community Action Association Metropolitan Community Action Agency. Alliance Northwest Detroit Neighborhood Community Connections Development Corporation Investing in Us would not be possible Community Development Nortown Community without the residents who have spoken Advocates of Detroit Development Corporation out over the last decade — thank you Congress of Communities Oakland Housing to all the Detroiters who do this work. Corktown Business Association Osborn Neighborhood Alliance Creekside Community Quicken Loans Community Fund Thanks to the community leaders who Development Corporation Restore Northeast Detroit helped us moderate and organize our Delray Community Council Sinai-Grace Guild Community focus groups: Louis Bailey and Lerline Design Core Detroit Development Corporation Armstrong at Disability Network of Designing Spaces + Designing Southwest Detroit Business Wayne County, Mark Covington at Georgia Justice Association Street Community Collective, Sheri Detroit Collaborative Design Southwest Detroit Environmental Burton at Midwest Civic Council of Block Center Vision Clubs, Lisa Williams at New Beginnings Detroit Economic Growth Southwest Solutions Corporation The Hope Village Initiative Community Development Corporation, Detroit Future City The Villages Communities Dana Christian at New Hope Community Detroit Greenways Coalition U SNAP BAC Development Corporation, Yelena Detroit Justice Center University of Detroit Mercy, Ramautar at O’Hair Park Community Detroit Neighborhood School of Architecture Association, Carl Zerweck at Rippling Partnership East University of Michigan, Taubman Hope, Sharon Burden, Tommara Grice, Detroit People’s Platform College of Arch. and Urban Nealmetria Loper, Jacqueline Williams, Detroit Public TV Planning Detroiters Working for Urban Neighborhood Initiatives and Hanan Yahya. Thank you to the Environmental Justice Vanguard Community residents who participated in our focus Doing Development Differently in Development Corporation groups and explained their visions to yet Metro Detroit Wayne State University, another person with a pen. Eastside Community Network Department of Urban Studies Focus: HOPE & Planning GenesisHOPE Woodbridge Citizens District Global Detroit Council Grandmont Rosedale Woodbridge Neighborhood Development Corporation Development Corporation Cover image courtesy of Benjamin Morse, Institute for Policy Studies [email protected]. Used with permission. Invest Detroit 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 3 III. Investing in Valued Communities 50 Methodology 4 “It’s Devastating to Us”: Residents Feel 51 Neglected Amidst Revitalization Plans I: Investing in Economic Stability 7 “A Cleaner, Healthier, Safer Environment” 52 Low Incomes, High Costs 7 Centering the Community: Ensuring 57 To Boost Incomes, Focus on Financial Tools 11 Equal Access to Land and Food in a Changing Detroit “We Need Jobs”: Employment and Training 12 Social Capital Yields Economic Benefits 63 Coaching for Success in Workforce 16 Development Investing in Immigrant Inclusion to Build 67 Economic Mobility for All Education Drives Success 17 Conclusion 70 Equity Starts with Early Childhood 20 and Community References 72 “Reliable, Affordable Transportation Options” 21 Endnotes 88 Transportation Is Freedom: Public Transit 24 as a Precondition for Economic Mobility “Keep [Detroiters] in Their Homes” 26 COTS’ Two-Generation Approach 29 II. Investing in Resident Power 32 Economic Agency: Growing, Owning, and 32 Earning in Detroit Knowledge is Power: Troubles Accessing 36 Information in the Digital Age Centering Community Voices 38 Nothing About Us, Without Us 40 Celebrating Wins: Policy Changes from 42 Community Advocacy Community Organizing, Leadership 44 Development, and a Community Response to Removing Barriers to Employment for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals “Our Responsibility as Citizens”: 46 An Alternative View of Individual Power “We Have Our Own Values” 48 2 (COURTESY OF CITY OF DETROIT) INTRODUCTION As the memory of municipal bankruptcy fades from In a variety of public spaces over the past decade, view, millions in community investment dollars Detroiters have grappled with questions about currently circulate throughout Detroit, thanks how community investment and neighborhood to the efforts of leaders in the public, corporate, revitalization should happen in a resource- philanthropic, faith, and community development constrained city and shared their visions for a safe, sectors. Grassroots leaders and resident organizations healthy, equitable Detroit. These conversations often continue to invest both cash and sweat equity in happen at the neighborhood level, within the context the work needed to improve their neighborhoods. of neighborhood plans or district community Across the city, these efforts are working to reverse meetings. Investing in Us unifies these views into decades of disinvestment and neglect at the hands a city-wide vision of economic well-being in of both political and structural forces, resulting in Detroit, from the perspective of its residents. We more streetlights, clean parks, and demolished think highlighting Detroiters’ shared ideas, across vacant structures. Beyond infrastructure, the reach neighborhood lines, for how to reduce poverty of available workforce, business, and early childhood and improve well-being can help drive policy and development services expands each year. philanthropic innovation and complement existing place-based efforts. This report brings together the Yet only 15% of residents think people in Detroit have voices of residents and community leaders, outlining benefited from public and private investments in the a set of interventions required to make dramatic 1 neighborhoods. Nearly half (46%) of residents think change in Detroit, as told by those who know it best. economic mobility is worse today than it was 20 years ago.2 And Detroit’s status as the poorest big city in the country has not changed in a decade, leaving nearly 1 in 5 households to survive on less than $10,000 a year.3 While decision makers continue to deploy dollars to improve economic opportunity and combat poverty in Detroit, we must also continue to understand how Detroit residents view the impact of these investments and how they would prioritize taking additional action to accelerate tangible change in their lives. 3 WHAT IS ECONOMIC MOBILITY? also examine social inclusion at the individual level, and the ways residents report feeling connected to At Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan, we neighbors and friends. Social inclusion is closely focus on economic mobility from poverty, which we linked to economic well-being;7 individuals who feel see as the result of linked systems that fail people a sense of belonging have people to turn to when at the bottom of the income ladder and inhibit their their car breaks down or when they are looking for ability to live with dignity. Our Detroit Partnership a new job. on Economic Mobility, a joint effort between Poverty Solutions and external partners including the City of Detroit, identifies and implements evidence-based METHODOLOGY strategies to improve the systems that drive economic well-being. We focus not only on those living in This report is organized into three sections to poverty, but also those above the official poverty reflect residents’ visions for mobility from poverty: line who are working hard to make ends meet, yet 1) Investing in Economic Stability, 2) Investing in continue to experience hardships like food insecurity Resident and Community Power and 3) Investing in 4 or utility shutoffs. Valued Communities. Nationally, there is a growing understanding that Often projects seeking to engage with communities mobility from poverty requires access to not only begin with new forums that present new opportunities income, assets, training, and employment but also for people to discuss their communities with decision demands the equitable distribution of other, more makers. Yet at the start of this work, we recognized 5 intangible resources: power and social inclusion. that over the last decade, Detroit residents have been The U.S. Partnership on Mobility from Poverty urges speaking out in a variety of public spaces. These us to consider power, or to what extent people spaces include forums like City Council evening can make choices for themselves and influence meetings, media interviews, and neighborhood others, as a crucial element to economic mobility. planning meetings, among