Working a nine to five is tiring. Working a nine to five where you have to read about the nuances of housing, real estate, and Detroit’s poor housing market is exhausting, but giving back to the community you were born and raised in is worth being exhausted for at the end of the day. I find myself fortunate enough to be placed with Develop Detroit – a nonprofit dedicated to buying property throughout the city and flipping it into affordable housing for longtime residents of Detroit. I’ve always been aware of Detroit’s lack of housing, poor attention to communities (outside of midtown and downtown), and its abundance in abandoned homes/blight. The president of Develop Detroit knows this too, and was born and raised in the city she’s assisting today.
The project I’m working on focuses on locating different services within Develop Detroit’s targeted areas and finding ways to connect future residents to those services. Additionally, I would also be brainstorming ideas with the Develop Detroit team on what services could they provide residents through partnership with another non profit. It’s rather heavy in research, but I do enjoy finding all the different food pantries, senior centers, and programs geared toward youth and education.
Zoe, your project seems really amazing and I’m happy that you got placed in a nonprofit that you like so much! Your project in some ways connects to my project since I am doing research on housing as well! I hope you continue to enjoy Detroit and good luck on your research you’ve got this!