A Continuation of the Urban Crisis

I’m a little disheartened over the fact that I have not and most likely will not finish this book.  Albeit text-heavy, I found the book to be a very interesting read.  What had captured my interest the most was the housing crisis in Detroit in the 1940s, mainly because I have learned only bits and pieces about red-lining, but I did not know it was to that extent where quality housing was borderline impossible to find if you were African-American.  The fact that I was not taught this in school is quite infuriating; this information about segregation and housing discrimination in the North is not taught to students, and we basically end up assuming that discrimination is only a thing that exists in the South.

When I read the chapters discussing the difficulties to even just build housing for African-Americans due to constant racism and confrontation, it reminded me of similar housing crises in Detroit and across the country, except with more class lines.  While new housing is being built in downtown and midtown in the form of lofts and apartments, it would be considered too expensive for most Detroiters to live in, and this new housing does not address the fact that many residents are facing foreclosure.  I’ve actually read as well that in the United States there is no state where you could work a minimum-wage job and afford a two-bedroom apartment.  I often think about the classism that is put into housing and it worries me that when I graduate it will be extremely difficult to find a place to live.

At my project, Focus:HOPE does attempt to tackle the large amount of foreclosures in the area by providing financial literacy classes as well as low-income housing for the elderly.  Although I do not work in these departments, I find it hopeful that Focus:HOPE is choosing not to leave most of Detroit’s residents left to fend for themselves struggling to afford their homes.  It is a small step towards making housing more equitable for all Detroiters.