Since the decline of the Auto Industry in Detroit, the city has become less and less prosperous. Some of the once thriving neighborhoods have even become abandoned in recent years. However, although the lack of housing and dangerous areas in Detroit are issues that need to be addressed, poverty is the most significant one.
Although the city of Detroit is making significant headway in restoring its former glory, poverty still remains a significant issue throughout the city and its suburbs. The poverty rate throughout the city is nearly 35 percent (more than a third of the city’s residents), and the median household income is less than 40,000 dollars. This is an issue that is being, and needs to be, addressed.
The City of Detroit, in recent years, has taken note of this problem and has taken several measures to assist families in poverty. The city, under the leadership of Mayor Mike Duggan, has invested 1 billion dollars to build affordable housing and to restore Detroit’s neglected neighborhoods, which will increase the quality of life for thousands of Detroit residents in poverty. However, apart from affordable housing initiatives, the city has not done much else to address poverty in the area. This is where external charitable organizations come into the picture.
Some of these external organizations, such as COTS Detroit and the South Oakland Shelter, are helping people and families in poverty by offering free transitional housing accommodations to allow people to have a place to live while searching for a job or another source of income. These organizations also provide food for their temporary residents to improve their standard of living.
Other initiatives by the state government of Michigan, such as the Pay as you Stay program, allow impoverished people to have lower taxes and assist them in enrolling in their city’s Poverty Tax Exemption (or PTE). These initiatives allow for residents in poverty to save their money to purchase housing and to have greater opportunities.
In all, the city of Detroit and the State of Michigan are very aware of this issue and are trying to address it as much as possible. We have seen significant progress in restoring Detroit’s neglected neighborhoods and businesses, and I truly look forward to seeing how the city will look in the future.
Reflection:
I got really excited when I saw this activity as an option to complete for my Civic Engagement Portfolio. For a long time, I’ve wanted to write about my opinions on the homelessness and poverty crisis in Detroit, and this was, finally, my opportunity to do it. This isn’t my first time researching about my community, and I enjoy doing so every time. I think this activity really opened my eyes to how much the city is working on helping impoverished residents. I don’t think I found this activity particularly challenging, but that could just be because I have done multiple research projects in the past. In all, I would tell future fellows to be creative and interesting in finding your research, and to write about an issue that you truly care about.
Since the decline of the Auto Industry in Detroit, the city has become less and less prosperous. Some of the once thriving neighborhoods have even become abandoned in recent years. However, although the lack of housing and dangerous areas in Detroit are issues that need to be addressed, poverty is the most significant one.
Artifact – you can view one of the documents that I used to complete this entry, as well as all of the research I had open.
Sources-
https://cotsdetroit.org/about-us/ , https://mmta.memberclicks.net/assets/Training/Online/PAYS%20General%20Info%203.10.20.pdf , https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2025/09/11/detroit-poverty-rate-rises-highest-number-since-2017-citys-comeback-median-income/86060538007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=false&gca-epti=z117338p118850c118850u114338e008100v117338&gca-ft=29&gca-ds=sophi
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