One of the biggest challenges of homeownership is long-term maintenance and repair, especially for low-income households. This problem is particularly acute in Detroit, where more than 95% of homes in the city were built more than 70 years ago.
According to a 2021 report, an estimated 37,630 Detroit households live in “inadequate” conditions, meaning the home has major problems with electrical needs including exposed wires, furnace or other heating problems, or a lack of hot or running water in the past year.
To address this unique challenge and ensure the safety and stability of particularly vulnerable Detroit families, Gilbert Family Foundation launched the Detroit Home Repair Fund (DHRF) in 2022. The $20 million initiative aimed to support more than 1,000 low-income homeowners in Detroit with essential repairs. The program also integrates various other home repair resources, such as DTE’s Energy Efficiency Assistance program, to provide a “whole home” model of repair.
Darnell Adams, vice president of Detroit Community Initiatives with Gilbert Family Foundation, cited University of Michigan research, estimating the repair need in the city of Detroit to be as high as $4 billion.
The extreme demand in the city was evident when the DHFR received more than 125,000 calls within the first 24 hours of launching the program. So far, the organization has repaired more than 400 homes and maintains an active waitlist.
One beneficiary of the program was Lawrence Sweet, a 75-year-old retiree who received much-needed upgrades. Sweet’s home had a leaky roof, a flooded basement and non-working lights. The program replaced his roof, added downspouts, fixed a jammed door and installed lighting, among other upgrades, all of which added up to an estimated $15,770.
“I want to feel comfortable just like anyone else,” Sweet said.
In 2021, Loretta Powell had flooding that damaged her home and led to the loss of many belongings. Despite the stress of this experience, Powell was grateful to have support through the program.
“The contractor who is working on my house came out; he showed me exactly what he was going to do,” Powell said. “They were very professional. I’m just amazed.”
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said the city is already providing more home repair assistance than ever before, and with the help of the DHRF, they are collectively stepping up to meet and address the needs that continue to exist.
“The most important thing we can do is to help longtime Detroiters stay in their homes,” he said. “Giving them greater opportunity to make badly needed repairs is an important part of our ability to do that.”
Detroiters seeking other critical housing resources, including information and resources for renters, property tax assistance for homeowners and more should call the Detroit Housing Resource HelpLine at 866-313-2520.