CIVIC-PG Track B: Rehab for America: Housing Resilience for Detroit Communities

Rehab for America: Housing Resilience for Detroit Communities addresses the nation’s acute housing crisis through the rehabilitation of vacant homes. Potential homebuyers are being priced-out of even the most affordably built new housing. Yet, in many communities, unoccupied, salvageable structures are ready to be converted to viable housing. Through Rehab for America, University of Michigan researchers will work with the Detroit Land Bank Authority (DLBA), Community Development Advocates of Detroit (CDAD), and aspiring home purchasers/rehabbers to make the rehabilitation process more attainable. Using innovative construction methods and materials, toolkits and training, and funding sources, homeowners will be empowered to conduct repairs and/or work more effectively with contractors, tapping the wealth of DLBA structures (currently 6841), contributing solutions that are expeditious, equitable, and resilient. Our vision is to increase homeownership for Detroit residents by making rehab construction affordable and homes more sustainable so they’re cheaper to heat, cool, and maintain in the service of increasing mental and physical well-being, household wealth, and neighborhood property values. Rehab for America addresses an important component of the nation’s housing affordability crisis by creating resources for and efficiencies in the process of rehabilitating vacant homes in America’s post-industrial cities. It envisions new service design; construction materials, methods, and efficiencies; and recommendations for financing to improve the success of homeowners and nonprofit developers purchasing and rehabilitating DLBA held properties. We aim to lower the barriers to structural rehabilitation through a three-pronged approach: the development of a better communication strategy and servicing by the DLBA, the creation of tactical approaches to aid in construction, and identification of funding models. The team of architects, engineers, and planners will partner with the DLBA to develop more robust forms of communication with buyers and nonprofit developers about rehabilitating properties. Working with the non-profit Community Development Advocates of Detroit (CDAD) we will engage community partners to identify new or underutilized funding sources to offset the cost of home repair. During the pilot project (Stage 2) we will rehab a DLBA property creating models and demonstrations for best practices. The goals to be assessed during the project include: lowered energy costs through life-cycle building performance and long-term maintenance through material and method specification; increased home value; rebuilding of community; better health outcomes; increased trust among stakeholders, and job training. Piloting the project in Detroit, the service design and products will be modeled for applicability to communities across the United States. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.