This month, I had the pleasure of working with The Greening of Detroit to create a guidebook around land sale policy in Detroit as part of my final impact project with Challenge Detroit. The project was inspired by a visit to Greening’s bi-annual Land Forum event at the University of Detroit Mercy. Detroiters from across the city arrived at the forum to ask questions and to seek resources for their various projects and inquiries on how to acquire certain types of land and property in the city. I noticed that many people in the room had no idea whom to go to or where to even start. The room was full of helpful resources and people like PM, Michigan Community Resources, The Greening of Detroit, and First American Title; however, the residents present at the forum did not understand whom would be most helpful to them to talk to about their needs and concerns.

After noticing this need, my Greening contact, Rosie Sharp, and I developed the idea to create a guidebook to help steer people who want to purchase property in the city in a better, more clear direction. The guidebook includes pages that reference the requirements and rules for purchasing property through the Detroit Land Bank Authority as well as contacts to resources that can help navigate the process. Through my research and communication with people who have successfully purchased land in the city, I understand the process to be confusing, tedious, and lengthy. This guidebook aims to better inform land purchasers of the materials required to make it through the entire process with limited surprises and bumps in the road. A resource guide in the back of the guide book will also point interested purchasers to organizations and individuals who already know how to navigate every step in the purchasing process and how to communicate with the Land Bank.

Detroiters want to be part of the comeback of their own city and have amazing ideas on how to do so. The process to purchasing land and ultimately making a positive difference in the communities across the city should not be difficult or confusing, especially for the people who have been here for generations. My hope is that this guidebook will help more Detroiters purchase more land in Detroit so that they can continue to showcase their pride for their city.