Thursday, September 12, 2013

Taking a stand for low income people and affordable housing in Detroit

Everyday at MWRO we get calls from people all across Detroit asking if we know anywhere they can move because they're about to be evicted from housing they can't afford. If you've got little to no income, like thousands of ex-welfare recipient families who've been kicked off public assistance because of time limits, you know there is almost nowhere for you to go.

The shelters are full. Public housing buildings are being torn down. Hockey stadium hawks are buying up low income apartment buildings in the Cass Corridor to be bulldozed. Multi-income HUD units require credit checks while tossing out families for the slightest infractions. Section 8 vouchers are harder to get and with wait lists a few years long. In sum, it's hard to be low income and live in Detroit.

But look around and you'll see there's plenty of hustle and bustle around town to make a dime off of Detroit's pain. Developers are buying up thousands of Detroit and Wayne County-owned properties to flip them or flattened them out for new units that will bring higher rents and a new influx of residents. Moreover, the Wayne County Treasurer's Office still accepts bids from wanna-be-gold-diggers all around the world looking to make a quick buck off Detroit real estate.

Meanwhile, thousands of Detroiters -- born and raised here! -- are being squeezed out of the city they call home. Gentrification is in full swing.

We've had about enough of this and intend on teaching every low income Detroiter that we can find how to get for themselves one of these government-owned homes. If anyone deserves to catch a break in this despicable political economy, it's the people who REALLY make this City thrive: mothers, fathers, children, senior citizens, neighbors, church members, bus riders, students, veterans, community groups and other grassroots people.

Join us with the Housing Is a Human Right Coalition at our next House Bid Workshop on September 24 to learn how we're helping Detroiters secure their place in this city we love. Call MWRO at (313) 964-0618 to reserve a spot at the workshop.

Photo by MWRO.

1 comment:

Tiago said...

Being evicted must be one of the most terrifying experiences in life, specially if you are the family head. I was living in an apartment for rent in buenos aires because of my job in 2001. In those times Argentina had a big crisis. Many people run out of job, and banks claimed for they returns. Luckily for Argentinians their government and justice system understood that having a place to live is a human right who should prevail in front of bank bennefits, specially in crisis times, like we have had since 2008.