The front desk at DCDC is covered with examples of what Detroit could do with its abandoned buildings (Photo by Jennifer Guerra)
by Jennifer Guerra
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You’re going to hear the words asset and opportunity a lot in this story. And frankly, that’s a pretty welcome surprise. It’s not often you hear those words associated with Detroit these days.
But don’t tell that to Charles Cross, Chandra Moore, and Virginia Stanard. They all work at the Detroit Collaborative Design Center. The firm is associated with the University of Detroit Mercy. And most of their work focuses on Detroit’s abandoned spaces.
Michigan Radio manages another site called the Michigan Radio Picture Project with the editing help of photographers Eric Smith and Doug Aikenhead. This week we published a photo essay entitled “Home,” containing photos by Michigan photographer Austin R. Hermann.
Hermann describes the collection as “a pictographic examination of Michigan’s current economic housing crisis, with interviews from each participating member.” He visited houses and buildings in Berkley, Ypsilanti and other Michigan communities to capture the scene and speak with homeowners.
Patrick Molloy sits in his new house in Clarkston, which he bought with the help of NSP funds (Photo by Jennifer Guerra)
by Jennifer Guerra
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The federal government doled out nearly $4 billion towards the Neighborhood Stabilization Program last year. The program was designed to stabilize communities hardest hit by foreclosures. Michigan got more than $98 million in NSP money. As part of our Facing the Mortgage Crisis series, Michigan Radio’s Jennifer Guerra checks in with one county to see how it’s spending its NSP money.
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The inside of the foreclosed house Charlie O'Geen bought for $3,300 (Photo by Jennifer Guerra)
Earlier this year Michigan Radio’s Jennifer Guerra introduced us to an artist named Mitch Cope. He and his wife live in a working-class neighborhood in Detroit. It’s pretty mixed: Polish and Ukranian families, lots of Bangledeshi immigrants. Not to mention quite a few drug dealers. Here’ s what Cope had to say about it back in March:
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Bobby Jackson talks with someone from the Land Bank about his urban garden at the Mission of Hope
Joanne Palek and her brother, Richard, have lived on West Court Street in Flint for 10 years. A few years ago, the abandoned house next door burned down. So they bought the empty lot from the Genesee County Land Bank for exactly $1.00, and then they started to plant.
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The Vista Maria campus in Dearborn Heights (Photo by Jennifer Guerra)
The Vista Maria campus for girls has gorgeous brick buildings spread out over 37 acres. You could easily mistake it for a boarding school out east. There’s the big lawn out front. Volleyball courts behind each hall. Inside, you’ll find some girls watching a movie, others are working out, and some are getting ready for the big Fall dance.
If you are a homeowner concerned about foreclosure, join us for one of these upcoming Facing the Mortgage Crisis town hall meetings. You can talk with experts about the foreclosure timeline and process, and find out resources available to help prevent foreclosure.
Tuesday, Oct. 6 – 7pm
William P. Faust Public Library of Westland
6123 Central City Pkwy,
Westland, MI 48185
Tuesday, October 27 – 7pm
Bloomfield Township Public Library
1099 Lone Pine Road
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Update: The Bloomfield Hills town hall meeting will take place at 7pm on Thursday, November 12.
Below you can watch a streaming video from our town hall meeting at the Livonia Public Library on Thursday, August 6. These meetings were intended to assist homeowners who are concerned about foreclosure. It was an opportunity to talk with experts about the foreclosure timeline and process, and find out resources available to help prevent foreclosure.
If you are a homeowner concerned about foreclosure, join us for a Facing the Mortgage Crisis town hall meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at the Livonia Public Library. You can talk with experts about the foreclosure timeline and process, and find out resources available to help prevent foreclosure.
Learn more and get driving directions at the Events page.
If you are a homeowner concerned about foreclosure, join us for a Facing the Mortgage Crisis town hall meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Southfield Public Library Auditorium. You can talk with experts about the foreclosure timeline and process, and find out resources available to help prevent foreclosure.
Learn more and get driving directions at the Events page.
