DETROIT – It happened over a year ago, but folks on Detroit’s east side still desperately need help cleaning out flooded basements.
Thanks to a significant grant, workers were out in the neighborhood Thursday doing just that.
A recent survey shows that 147 basements in the Detroit area need sanitization following 2021′s summer of flooding in the area.
Despite clear signs of water damage, a large number of Detroiters, especially seniors, were never able to get assistance with repairs.
It’s been a long time coming, but work is finally being done as low-income seniors benefit from assistance FEMA couldn’t even help out with.
“I was afraid to go down there and even wash cause I can see it’s turning black down there, you know,” said Cynthia Campbell. “But I’m ok now that I see them here.”
Campbell is a flood victim that’s extremely delighted with what’s being done to her basement.
“I’m so happy they’re here,” Campbell said. “I waited, but I knew they were coming because I was worried about that basement.”
Thanks to a $125,000 grant from the McGregor Fund, finally, after about a year of having her basement flooded, the clean-up is in full effect.
It’s all being done along with a partnership between Jefferson East Incorporated and the Center for Employment Opportunities.
Site supervisor Christina Abbott said the project helps former inmates re-enter society while having them help others.
“We have participants that have been incarcerated, on probation or something like that,” said Abbott. “So we bring them back into the field and teach them the different skills of learning.”
With multiple homes undergoing the same process, Stephanie Bratton is another homeowner happy that someone stepped up to do a job that would not have been completed otherwise.
“Oh, I feel blessed,” Bratton said. “I thank God it happened. That’s a blessing.”
A lot of the homes are also in need of new furnaces, so that’s something the organizations are hoping to help with as well in the near future.