Within city limits, approximately 2,000 occupied homes were foreclosed on during the current 2018 year. The residents that live in these foreclosed homes are made up of homeowners, renters, and homesteaders. In a city that is seeking ‘revitalization’, it is imperative to keep folks in their homes in efforts to increase resident and city stability. My impact project partner, United Community Housing Coalition (UCHC) is a nonprofit that works endlessly to provide comprehensive housing assistance to individuals who are at risk of losing their homes.

Through collaboration with UCHC employees, and hearing that the bulk of their time has to be spent working with clients, it was clear there was not time nor human power to create updated marketing materials.  As a result, we created the design question, “How might we provide increased clarity for tax foreclosure clients by visually depicting UCHC services?” I started off reviewing the marketing materials they had, just like a new client would. It helped that I did not have previous exposure to the foreclosure process, since many of their clients are also coming in with no previous knowledge of how to navigate the system.

As Human Centered Design calls for, I interviewed a diverse set of stakeholders. This included UCHC clients, employees, volunteers, and community leaders from the Coalition to End Unconstitutional Tax Foreclosures. I learned through these interviews that the UCHC marketing material needed to be condensed. As a result, my deliverables included a flyer, that can be used at the UCHC office to indicate the exact programs that the Tax Foreclosure Prevention Team has counselors dedicated to. The biggest thing that prevents folks from receiving help through the foreclosure process, is that they simply do not know resources are out there. As a result, I created a postcard that indicates UCHC’s services, days they are open for counseling, and their office location. This post card can be allocated to the public via mail, shelters, community centers, and public spaces.

This project not only allowed me to use skills that I developed throughout my Challenge year, but also allowed me to dedicate time to an issue that is at the center of the city. People deserve to know how they can keep their homes, and I plan to spend my time sharing the knowledge I gained. The more knowledge that is shared, the more educated Detroit residents can be.

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