Hi, I've never been to Detroit, so I don't know much about the cost of living there. But I'm curious to find out from people who live there how much a single parent of, say, two young children needs to earn in order to live modestly but independently? $10/hour? $20/hour?

Also, what are some of the obstacles to employment confronting a lot of the unemployed in Detroit? This is a huge, complex problem, I know. But one way to solve it is to eliminate the obstacles that prevent people from working. Before you can eliminate the obstacles, you have to first identify them. From what I've been reading regarding Detroit, here are the obstacles that I know of:

Illiteracy
lack of personal transportation
auto insurance too expensive
unreliable public transportation
lack of jobs for unskilled labor

But I'm curious if other obstacles exist? Like, a lot of people are having problems with water shutoffs, so I was wondering if lack of access to bathing and laundry facilities is also a significant obstacle to employment for many in Detroit.

What about access to affordable child care? Is it cheap or super expensive to have your kid in daycare? Are there enough daycare centers around?

Or, what about training opportunities? If people are motivated, are there enough resources available for them to improve their skills? Or get an education?

Please share your insight. Thanks.