Running head: COMMUNITY ANALYSIS PART II

Community Analysis Part II

Tracy Hawthorne
ek1877
Wayne State University
November 21, 2015

COMMUNITY ANALYSIS PART II

The Problem
For a long while, I did not understand the word to describe my community until
becoming more involve with Blight, which puts a title on the trash, debris, suffering a lack of

proper care, abandoned, and neglect properties that affected homes, businesses, education, vacant
lands, and children. The justification for the physically changing occurs is community loss, a
housing crisis, felony, and the decrease of city services. Blight is not solely a thing that is
gruesome, but it gives a feeling of hopelessness of the people. Therefore, blighted the distinctive
atmosphere had been plaguing the East Downtown Community since the mid-1980s, through
this Tyree Guyton created The Heidelberg Project in the zip code area 48207. Detroit residential
and business area has continued to decrease every year after the late 1980s. From 2000 to 2010,
Heidelberg's population declined by 24 percent. The community went from 61,282 residents in
the year 2000 to 28,165 in 2010. The drastic reduction in the Commonwealth is one of the
circumstances that led to the blighted population to spread abandonments over the East Side of
Detroit in the Heidelberg area.
However, there were nearly ten-thousand people who permanently abandon the
community, eighty-five percent were between zero and seventeen years of age. These amounts
not only consider people but can also report for incomes that left the population, losing support
from local business, and drop in local schools registration. With the community lost, many
houses were left abandoned and began to become progressively worse due to not having enough
maintenance that has a long relationship to the communities blight (Data Driven Detroit, 2013).
By now the residents are going away from the community, the housing trouble that affected all of
Detroit had an extremely destructive effect on The Heidelberg Neighborhood. The merge
housing trouble where citizens could not have enough money to pay for their homes with

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poverty-stricken occurs and citizen feeling their only choice was to establish one's home outside
of Detroit. The Heidelberg Project and Historical Eastern Market District is close to the border
by East Jefferson Downtown Detroit. East Jefferson and Downtown Detroit is a dividing road
representing the division between entering the border into Canada Country. With Heidelberg
residents not far from the suburban cities, they became aware the environment provided better
services such as garbage removal also includes rinsing out any debris left in the bottom of the
can, street lighting, riding the bikes down the road, faster city service provided and faster
emergency response time.
It did not take a lot to make a decision for people not to fight for a high mortgage, crime
on the rise and poor city service. Also, to look for an easy way to turn their backs from houses
they could no longer afford, which in turn allowed blight to outspread nonstop throughout the
community (Boehm, 2013). The blight and inadequate resources that are increasing area through
the residential area do not just make a difference to one race, gender or age group. It makes a
difference to all those that unexpectedly experience it. It affects the safety of the citizen, children
attending school, and patrons of local businesses. The business in the community threatened with
the economy not being patronized do to the loss of income many stores in the area was the force
to shut down due to plenty of losses. Also, being the population continued to decrease, after
experience years of neglect, and the insufficiency of city resources the blighted structures have
taken over the Heidelberg community. In spite of the fact there are some signs of blight on
roughly every street in the Heidelberg community, and it is continuous to increase, the residents
are exhausted and have begun fighting.
The Heidelberg Community are looking for solution and resources that can give them
answer to ending this problem in zip code 48207. They know one person cannot get into the

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solution, so this area came together in unity to build a stronger community and through this
understand that strength comes in numbers. The community knows taking action will allow the
population to combat from blight, they must assess their strengths by taking proper actions. The
Heidelberg Community has many strengths and with the establish support and resources they can
start to reconstruct the community. One of The Heidelberg Community significant strength is the
different organizations that blind together. The Heidelberg Street became a project founded by
artist Tyree Guyton in 1986 who is a product of my community that took the area where blight
has spread with deep poverty turning it into a world attraction. In 1988, The Heidelberg Project
received national media attention from People and Newsweek magazines.
However, during 1991 after Detroit Mayor Coleman Young orders the demolition of four
Guyton house installations, shortly after Oprah Winfrey request Tyree Guyton to appears on the
Show. Also, in 1993 Jenenne Whitfield gave up her fourteen-year career in banking to direct the
Heidelberg Project, the acclaimed nonprofit organization that brings art to neglected
neighborhoods in Detroit (Creative Time Summit. 2015). The community in zip-code 48207 was
able to clean up many blight areas by placing abandon lots and homes with art. Therefore, the
abandoned property in the Heidelberg community was hit by the Wayne County Treasure
Department for unpaid taxes for the lots and lost abandon houses that were part of the exhibit. An
online fund-raising campaign exceeded its goal of $50,000 for security enhancements around the
project earlier this month. Also, in 1990 The Kresge Foundation is a $3.5 billion private, national
foundation that works to expand opportunities in America's cities through grantmaking and
investing in arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services and community
development in Detroit (The Kresge Foundation.2015).

COMMUNITY ANALYSIS PART II

The Historical Landmark for The Eastern Market improves the community-business network
foundation on the capacity and many organizations set apart city assets for less and relating
businesses in the community. Nonetheless, this is the only city on the east side has a solar
lighting and security plan which would not have been possible without the generosity of the
nearly 950 Indiegogo donors that raised over $54,000 for the projects in just one month along
with the Fred M. & Barbara A. Erb Family Foundation and the Kresge Foundation? Others
graciously offered their expertise such as Jim Clements of Harrison Township - based Nomax

Technologies, LLC, who contributed over $13,400 of in-kind services to ensure a solid plan (The
Heidelberg Project, 2015).
The Community has a neighborhood block club that works with Mr. Knight, who is a part
of The Detroit Land Bank. It is a public authority dedicated to returning Detroits vacant,
abandoned, and foreclosed property to productive use. Our current programs include the auction,
side lot, community partnership and demolition (Building Detroit. 2015). The most of high
significance strength of all is the assist and input that the locals and business owners make
available for use. The Matrix Human Services Center, which control the functioning as a
community network, also supply office space and associated with a broad diversity of
organizations and community officials that devoted to eradicating poverty and become better not
only in the city, also the whole town. The zip-code 48207 is now positioned with the right assets
to design the area of blight and made a change in the commonwealth.
Interviews & Surveys
For this assignment, three active community leaders were interviewed concerning their
perception on blight within the Commonwealth of Downtown East Detroit Area. The city
officials and different organizations are paying attention to zip code 48207. Therefore, with the

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many events and changes this community has figured out a way to make blight work for the
population instead of against it. The eastern market also has brought in new businesses, which
allowed jobs in the nearby downtown area. The Heidelberg Project and Historical Eastern
Market District Community represented by Detroits 13th Congressional District. John Conyers,
Jr, his office not located in The Heidelberg Community or The Historical Eastern Market
District. However, it is at 231 W Lafayette Blvd # 669, Detroit, MI 48226 within District 13, but
he does reside in the community. Councilman Conyers grow up in the northwest Detroit area and
at one time during an interview he shared on the downtown community was like for him as a
child. He talks about homes, the beauty of the neighborhood, and the repeat of streetcars brought
back to Detroit. He states, as a graduate of Wayne State University there was no blight in the
area, and its unbelievable how fast the Detroit City in the different area become dilapidated. It
nearly happened insistently overnight. is happy to be representing 13th District and most
importantly The Heidelberg and Historical Eastern Market District Community.
His final goal is to enhance the community by taking everything into account to make
the city quality of life better. Swanson O'Neil, Business Liaison for Detroit 13th District,
experienced over six decades in The Heidelberg and Historical Eastern Market District
Community at the same period as Councilman Conyers. O'Neil D. Swanson first opened the
doors of the Swanson Funeral Home in 1958, as the business grew and prospered, the Swanson
Foundation was established to fulfill a responsibility to the community by providing scholarships
for the less fortunate and to aid other underserved areas of the commonwealth. Also, Mr. O'Neil
has been active in many businesses, cultural and social organizations and his achievements have
been recognized by many, including the conferring of two honorary Doctorate Degrees by both
Shaw College in Detroit, Michigan and Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio (Swanson,

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2015). Mr. ONeil describes the community 48207 area as having a family feel but with hardly
never hearing of crime. He recalls the history he has with my family and on all occasions
encountering the relationship with people in the community example all his past business deal
dinner meetings held at another formal neighborhood restaurant in the community Green BarBQ. He stated, he admires how in spite of our community plagued do to crime we still help one
another and the fact my mom still has a sit at her table for him. This meaning my parents had a
personal relationship with Mr. ONeil from 1964 thru 2003 when my mother retired from the
Sectary of State, she took care of his fleet of cars license plates being register for his businesses.
Mr. ONeil always give back to the community in 48207 by giving turkeys out during
Thanksgiving, Christmas Trees and toys out during the Holidays season.
Mr. ONeil speaks of the sight of blight has taken over the Eastside community, but it is
up to us as a resident and as a business owner to keep coming up with new solutions to solve the
problems as it arrives with blight. Jerome Chandler of Detroit Recovery Project is the program
operation manager help assisting in a federal government's primary program for people or family
who need homes shared that he likely looks at this situation in a different perception from many
other addressing the problem being in the community he has direct contact with the homeless.
Jerome works directly with those facing homelessness, in the commonwealth zip-code 48207 on
Larned St, was homeless residents sleeping in a tent and living in the underpass of the freeway
Living up under the bridge, you know, isnt a good place to live, said Chandler. But
sometimes they may have substance abuse problems, mental health issues, so, I dont know how
grateful they are. Maybe they just feel that theyre not getting the help they need, he said, but
there is help out here if they need it. Chandler, whos been helping the homeless for six years,
watching many turn their lives around hearing many success stories (Campbell, 2013). Jerome

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Chandler helps many residents who lose their homes in the community to relocate to new homes;
some were able to stay in the community, and other chose to leave the community by helping to
them to getting placed on Section 8 housing waiting list and connecting them with other
resources.
However, America names Detroit City in 2011, to be the most dangerous and deadly in
the Country and one of the solutions is The Heidelberg Project masquerade the sights that blight
has taken over, and crime is rising so quickly until Detroit can not keep up with the numbers of
murders taken places. The zip code 48207 turn blight into an achievement, however, even if
some of the residents who did not approve of Tyree Guyton turning abandon houses and vacant
lots into his exhibit. The Joyce Foundation headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. We are thrilled to
be a recipient of a Joyce Award to support Midwest cultural organizations to commission new
works by artists of color. This prestigious award is a very positive reflection on the strengths of
the artists in Detroit, and Wayne State University is proud to present programs. Also, it helps
showcases the work of our citys artists, said Sharon Vasquez, Dean, College of Fine,
Performing and Communication Arts, Wayne State University (Wayne State University,2007). In
an attempt to listen from the neighbors that devoted to Eastside community 48207 future. A face
to face survey administered to twenty individuals for study. It was shocking to learn and, while
briefly speaking an unspecified number of the residents was not aware that the Eastern Market
was a historic landmark. Many of the residents looked at the Heidelberg Project as junk and was
unaware that many foundation has invested into our community as art and energy.
When they learned The Heidelberg Project and Eastern Market is part of a Detroit tour
guide that people from out of town and suburban pay to take a tour to look at the art, they
consider as junk and it was surprising to them to be educated that blight made the community

COMMUNITY ANALYSIS PART II

famous. Almost fifty percent of the respondents do not feel zip code 48207 provides a strong
quality of life. Based on survey results, the top two issues that affect the quality of life in
Heidelberg are the neighborhood business blight affected and education. The top two ways to

enhance an important topic are to find the foundation to investing funding in education, the same
way people spend in The Heidelberg Project to put into our community and take the support the
local political legislation give The Heidelberg Project and Eastern Market in return do it for the
community school system. Nonetheless, the community is all bonded together to renew their
community regardless the sacrifice they have to make. It is an ongoing challenge and
commitment to continue volunteering to keep the street clean, attending block club meetings, and
coming up with new input.
Plans of Action
After listening to organizational leaders and evaluating the survey results, the plans of
action is if each in this community, keep bonding together. However, one of the action that will
help this population would be to find resources to strength the combat of helping to find funding
to save the people property and provide more homeless people homes. According to community
leaders, many of the homeless people as I stated in this paper earlier, who live in the tents and
freeway overpass in the city of 48207. Also, it is a major factor affecting the situation of
homelessness in Detroit is that the homeless resisting the assisted provided by local agencies
and also the decrease in community members knowledge of the problem. However, the
community will not wait for the district to reconstruct itself which seems a little promising and
communicate with law enforcement within the 13th Distract. Also, the judicial system assign
offender that commit crimes in The Heidelberg Community and Historical Eastern Market
District to work towards restoring the particular neighborhood that they had a critical impact

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creating crime. Organize discussion forums, offering past and present citizens and business
proprietor, city officials, and new organizations to help the community to obtain a broad variety
of input for relating to the identification of long-term planning in the direction of a revitalized
neighborhood. Individuals working within federal government's primary program will be able to
monitor to see if there is a decrease in people living there in the street to keep track by moving
the population into vacant homes to cut out blight with the intended to improve a quality of life
for citizens. The law enforcement come into play, allowing these criminals to keep up the area
that blight has overcome.

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COMMUNITY ANALYSIS PART II

Reference
Conyers, C. (2015, November 16). 13th District [Personal interview].
Boise, Idaho. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2015, from
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Swanson, O. (2015, November 18). Community Analysis [Personal interview].
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Detroit, Michigan (MI) Zip Code Map - Locations, Demographics. (n.d.).

Retrieved November 18, 2015, from http://www.city-data.com/zipmaps/DetroitMichigan.html

English Language Institute - Wayne State University. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2015, from
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Chandler, J. (2015, November 17). Homeless [Personal interview].
Jenenne Whitfield - The Creative Time Summit. (2015). Retrieved November 19, 2015, from
http://creativetime.org/summit/speakers/jenenne-whitfield/
Knight. (2015, November 17). Land Bank [Telephone interview].
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Swanson Funeral Home: About Us: History. (2015). Retrieved November 20, 2015, from

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http://www.swansonfuneralhomes.com/fh/aboutus/history.cfm?&fh_id=12430
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Fburns@mlive.com, G. (2014, June 24). Detroit Heidelberg Project installs solar-powered
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