Detroit Future City’s Center for Equity, Engagement, and Research, in partnership with Mass Economics, recently released a new research report, Middle Wage Jobs.
The report includes discussion of what middle wage jobs are and why they matter to Detroit; analysis of trends in middle wage jobs in the city and region; and case studies highlighting what other cities are doing to attract and retain accessible, but well-paying employment positions.
A webinar discussing the findings and implications of this new research will be held on June 30th at noon and is open to the public at no charge. Please register for the webinar in advance by accessing the link below:
DFC and Partners Building Down Payment Assistance Catalogue
An effort is now underway by Detroit Future City and its partners in the Detroit Neighborhood Housing Compact to catalogue mortgage and down payment assistance programs for low- and moderate-income home buyers in Detroit.
A catalogue will be created and published as a result of these efforts. It will be shared at www.detroitfuturecity.com and with members of the Detroit Neighborhood Housing Compact, a community coalition focused on expanding access to quality, affordable housing for low-and-moderate income Detroiters.
The Elmwood Circle Forest, an initiative of Detroit Future City and Arboretum Detroit, is beginning to take shape at the northeast corner of Elmwood and Palmer on Detroit’s East Side.
This new community gathering space is transforming 1.3 acres of formerly vacant residential land into a lush, green, and welcoming trail and forest ecosystem.
Neighborhood volunteers were joined by volunteers from General Motors, Detroit Future City, UofM, Rocket, and other community groups to plant the first trees at the site this Spring. Up to 90 trees will be planted by the end of this Spring, with many dozens more planted in Fall 2022. More than 50 trees and shrubs were planted onsite this spring, and the total will be close to 200 when complete. DFC is currently soliciting bids for hardscaping contractors, and tree planting will resume in the fall.
Volunteers, donors, and visitors are invited to help create and build on the new community space on this project and other community green spaces supported by DFC. Contact Detroit Future City Development Director Kate Cherry at kcherry@detroitfuturecity.com to learn more about how you can help.
The Elmwood Circle Forest project is scheduled for completion Summer 2023. Funding for this initiative has been provided, in part, by the National Fish and Wildlife Fund’s Southeast Michigan Resilience Fund, with additional support from General Motors Foundation, and AARP.
More information about the project is available here.
Catch Up with the Equity Innovation Series
A second event in Detroit Future City’s Equity Innovation Series was held virtually on April 20th. The event recording and toolkit are now available online for viewing and use by interested community members.
Entitled, Increasing Homeownership in Detroit Through Mortgage Lending, the event featured expert discussions on expanding homeownership and mortgage lending in Detroit. The discussion was moderated by Catherine Kelly of Bridge Detroit and inspired by Buying In, a recent publication from Detroit Future City.
Buying In is a research report that takes an in-depth look at home mortgage trends in Detroit. The report, co-authored with former Detroit Free Press journalist John Gallagher, identifies barriers to expanded home buying in the city and suggests strategies for overcoming these conditions.
Detroit Future City is currently hiring for two open positions.
The Land Use Manager position is perfect for someone with an interest and background in transforming vacant land for sustainable uses.
The Research Assistant position at the Center for Equity, Engagement, and Research is perfect for someone with an analytical approach and an interest in economic equity.
If you or someone you know is interested in applying for these positions, click here to learn more.
City Leaders Recognize DFC’s Nicole Brown
The City of Detroit’s Green Taskforce recently honored those working toward making Detroit a more equitable and climate resilient city at the 2022 Green Taskforce Earth Day Celebration. Among those honored for their transformative work was Detroit Future City Director of Strategic Partnerships, Nicole Brown for her work in leading the Land + Water WORKS Coalition from 2017 to 2021.
Nicole and the coalition engaged 47,593 city residents to become more active in land and water stewardship and green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) over the past five years. Partners in this work included The Greening of Detroit, Eastside Community Network, Friends of the Rouge, The Sierra Club, Ecoworks, and Michigan Interfaith Power and Light, among others.
Brown joined an illustrious list of awardees at the event, including Tepirah Rushdan of Keep Growing Detroit and the Detroit Black Farmers Land Fund; Katrina Watkins of Bailey Park Project Neighborhood Development Corporation; and Travis Peters of Green Boots Veteran Community Horticulture Gardens and Marketplace.
To learn more about the City of Detroit Green Taskforce please click here.
