COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Summary of Findings

This section includes our findings from the community engagement and outreach activities that were conducted. The findings are an integration of the collected property data, observations from the community event and windshield survey, and interviews. The findings serve to construct a deeper understanding of the threats to NOAH properties in the Oakman Boulevard Community as well as an analysis of potential solutions. The findings in this section will help inform our recommendations.

Resident Affordability

• Affordability was not identified as the greatest housing barrier by the neighborhood association. Instead, finding housing that fit a resident’s needs was considered to be more challenging.

• A major neighborhood concern expressed in our community engagement activities was the diminishing resources for unhoused people in Oakman. There is a great need for people to have access to stable housing and health care services within the community.

• Housing vouchers, such as Section 8, offer property owners in Detroit rents that are higher than the prevailing market rate. When many voucher recipients are concentrated in one physical neighborhood, the NOAH rental rates are inflated. This can disadvantage residents who are cost burdened but not recipients of vouchers.

Property Conditions

• According to the neighborhood association, the housing stock in the area is abundant, but the quality is below standard for Detroit. The community association identified property conditions as the most pressing concern among their members and residents.

• Families with young children value a safe neighborhood more than adequate physical condition of housing.

• The typical demographic profile for NOAH units in Detroit is a single mother with three children. This illustrates the need for policy and programs that improve health outcomes for children such as lead abatement.

• Neither landlord interviewed was aware of any programs or public funding available to improve property condition or preserve affordability of NOAH units.

Property Management Challenges

• Most residential rental property owners in Detroit are in the business due to the cash flow potential, not the property value accrual. However, high property taxes in Detroit disincentivizes investors from entering the market.

• Housing costs have increased in recent years and are exacerbated by (1) the older housing stock that requires additional maintenance, (2) the disproportionately high utility costs, and (3) the disproportionately high property taxes in Detroit.

• The COVID-19 pandemic placed added pressure on local landlords, which contributed to landlord disinvestment in the area.

• Housing vouchers are common in Detroit, and reliability of income reduces labor for landlords.

• Neither landlord interviewed reported passing increased operating cost along to tenants, as the rental market sets the rates, not individual landlords.

Joe Louis Greenway Impacts

• Residents want to see new development in their neighborhood, but recognition of the many historical assets and features in the neighborhood should be elevated. Historical markers or preservation efforts are supported.

• The community association relayed that they have not heard much discussion about the JLG and did not expect redevelopment or increase in rent or property values in the near future.

• To support the transitioning land use character in the neighborhoods along the greenway, the legacy zoning of older industrial lots should be revisited and a large-scale rezoning pursued as part of the Joe Louis Greenway Plan.

• There is support for title clearance and lapsed property tax relief to prevent resident displacement as a result of increased property values.

Opportunities for Improvement

• Despite substantial challenges, the Oakman Boulevard Community has experienced many significant improvements since the Great Recession, assisted by many community-led organizations.

• New policies, new grant funding, and attention from the upcoming Joe Louis Greenway serve to uplift the community and enable actions to improve safety, health, and wellbeing.

Windshield Survey

The windshield survey revealed that the 45 target properties appeared to be in better exterior physical condition compared to the other properties in Oakman. When observing each property, we noticed some recurring property condition issues that resulted in a score of 3, including deteriorating front steps/porches, missing or damaged gutters, and peeling siding, cladding, or paint. The properties with a score of a 2 were typically missing windows. The only property to score a 1 experienced severe damage from a fire in early April; when we originally visited this building in March, we issued a property condition score of 3. Four properties appeared vacant, evident through boarded up windows, fencing, and absent resident activity. One property had a resident eviction sign posted. The full results of the windshield survey are included in Appendix E. A summary of the findings are included below.