1/3 of residential lots vacant - UofM Survey

[Meddle]

A mammoth new survey delivers a sharply focused look at Detroit's housing stock and lays the groundwork for a sweeping debate about right-sizing the city.

The survey by the Detroit Data Collaborative gives an unprecedented view of the strengths and weaknesses of the city's residential areas. Results portray a city of marked contrasts.

A little more than 35% of the city's 343,849 residential parcels are either vacant lots or abandoned shells of buildings -- a staggering burden for a city trying to reinvent itself.

But the survey also found surprisingly upbeat results in Detroit's most vital districts. The survey found that more than 90% of the city's occupied residential units are in good or fair condition -- results that could lay the foundation for efforts to strengthen individual neighborhoods.

Rest of story: http://freep.com/article/20100220/BU...it-lots-vacant

Maps, Charts: http://freep.com/article/20100220/BU...-of-the-survey

[Gsgeorge]

A great article from the Detroit News, which touches more on the downsizing initiatives. Once again, DetNews takes the cake for reporting quality.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100...an-to-downsize

[Danny]

The 35% of the vacant lots and abandon buildings is Detroit's Ghettohoods are the cause of these people problems.

1. White flight and ecomonic flight

2. Real estate practices of REDLINING blacks when they start to move further into once white Detroit neighborhoods. For example in the 1960s, real estate brokers hire black kids to ride their bikes through a particular mostly white Detroit neighborhoods. Just to get white homeowners to sell their homes to blacks and steer them to the suburbs.

3. The 1967 riots

4. Landlords and slumlords renting their Detroit homes to some a poor low-income families, not fixing up their home to answer their compliant of preventative maintenances. They just want to collect rent and move on.

5. Real estate brokers selling any Detroit home to low-income families until they can't afford to pay the mortage or city taxes. That will lead to foreclosures.

6. Economic recession causes middle to low-income families to lose their homes in a flash.

7. Arsons and accidental house fires in a particular Detroit ghettohood would lead to urban blight.

Detroit ghettohoods is what it is today due the people who live and dwell in those homes and apartments.


WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

If you all can fix Detroit, leave it, move on and leave it someone else.

In memoriam: Neda Soltani