Detroit 2011

57% Population decline in 50 Years:850,000 Today

Detroit is 139 sq miles big

40 Sq Miles of that 139 is Vacant or abandoned

70% of Housing is single family

1960 vs 2010

Mayor Bing

Problem: What to do about depopulation?

• Solutions: • A. Tear Down Buildings• B. Incentivize Repopulation

Detroit Works Project: Demolish 10,000 Buildings in 3 years

No Immanent Domain Laws so…

• Owners may stay in houses but:• They will no longer have trash pickup• They will no longer have city sewer or water• They will no longer have road maintenance

Option: Owners may trade their house in depopulated area for tax-abandoned house in populated area

In the middle of Detroit:

Detroit Mercy Is In Detroit

Mostly Commuter Campus

• ~90% students live far away• ~90% Faculty live far away

• Not uncommon for Jesuit Universities nationwide (Fordham, Loyola, Marquette, Etc)

Proactive Example: Urban Land Use Institute’s Live Midtown Program (in Detroit)

• The Live Midtown residential living program provides four types of incentives for eligible employees (of Detroit Medical Center (DMC), Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) or Wayne State University (WSU) to live and invest in their homes in Midtown.

• These four options will accommodate those looking to purchase a new or existing home, those interested in renting, and existing employed homeowners who would like to complete exterior improvements on their existing Midtown home. University-owned properties are excluded from this program.

The Live Midtown program provides:

• New homeowners with up to a $20,000 forgivable loan toward the purchase of their primary residence if taken one-time, OR $25,000 at the rate of $5,000 per year if taken over 5 years

• New renters with a $2,500 allowance toward the cost of their apartment in the first year followed by an additional allowance of $1,000 for the second year

• Existing renters within the district will be eligible for an allowance of $1,000 over one year when an existing lease is renewed or when relocating within the district

• Existing homeowners with a matching allowance of up to $5,000 for exterior improvements for projects of $10,000 or more

Challenge:• One of the simplest ways for a University to

affect its local community is for faculty to live in that community.