What is it like to be poor in Detroit?

The poverty in Detroit is staggering because it is unrelenting. You look all around you and see no one who lives in the middle class. With this situation people have no reference point for life options beyond being poor. read more

The poverty in Detroit is staggering because it is unrelenting. You look all around you and see no one who lives in the middle class. With this situation people have no reference point for life options beyond being poor. When I was a girl, we went to deliver Christmas parcels to poor families. In the first house were 2 mothers with 11 children. read more

Detroit is a city trying to find its footing again, definitely. And there are definitely neighborhoods that you are highly encouraged to avoid. But the Greater Detroit metro area (think Royal Oak, Berkley, Grosse Point, and Rochester) is incredibly alive, vibrant, and filled with wealthy communities and good schools. read more

Poverty, crime, and urban blight in Detroit continue to be ongoing problems. Nonetheless, poverty is improving; median household income is rising, criminal activity is decreasing by 5% annually, and the city's blight removal project is making progress in ridding the city of all abandoned homes that cannot be rehabilitated. read more