Large tax bills coming for downtown residents. Will they stay?

[Shai_Hulud]

Condescending much? Again, it doesn't matter if you work for one of the companies that offers these incentives [[which I do), if you were already a resident before the program started, you don't qualify for most if not all of these programs.

I investigated Live Downtown fairly thoroughly and was never told that being an existing resident disqualified you. If you move from outside the boundary to in, you can get the incentive. Whether you move from the westside or from Novi is immaterial.

I seem to be missing the problem.

If the market dictates rent increases and occupancy can remain at north of 80% levels by charging 300% more than before, we have new people living there with more disposable income who expend more on purchasing power and employ more Detroiters than the prior residents.

We should be cheering them on to victory.

Clearly,

We aren't talking about market forces. We are talking about market manipulation by the city and to a lesser extent, private companies. The city's efforts being especially ham-fisted.

The pile of cash on the table for NEZ residents came from the rest of the Detroiters who were actually paying property taxes. Because the pile was so big, when it goes away there will likely be falling demand, coupled with rising rents and falling home value that could undue part of the progress made.

[detroitsgwenivere]

I investigated Live Downtown fairly thoroughly and was never told that being an existing resident disqualified you. If you move from outside the boundary to in, you can get the incentive. Whether you move from the westside or from Novi is immaterial...

What I'm trying to find out is, does anyone know anybody who has lived in the downtown area for a significant amount of time, like 7+ years, who when attempting to move within the district has been able to take advantage of any of these incentives, renting or buying? Or does anyone on DYES fit the bill as I described above? I was rejected per the guidelines set by my employer when I applied a few years ago after being forced to trade digs, been living down here for about a decade myself, and I don't know of a single long term neighbor that receives any incentives. I know what the guidebook says. It's the actual application I'm griping about.

http://www.detroitlivedowntown.org/w..._Guideline.pdf

I know that when most Detroiters go to make a purchase we wont qualify for any of those incentives, LiveDowntown, NEZ, or otherwise, as we probably wont be able to afford to live in the area anymore regardless. I also realize that as a renter I'm not entitled to live in the downtown area. To be able to afford to buy and live in Detroit I'll most likely end up in a half decent house in a borderline warzone and referred to as an "Urban Pioneer." It is what it is.