Mary's Detroit Photoblog: The Vision and Current Reality (Taking Homes from the Homeless)

Monday, October 1, 2007

The Vision and Current Reality (Taking Homes from the Homeless)

We were down at Tri-Centennia Park, which is where the Boblo Boat is parked (I'll get back to the boat soon) and across the street is the old Global Trading Company. The Urban Development Company is planning on renovating the old building to make gentrified lofts. A laudable project in many ways, but the Lake and Riverfront is all going upscale and where will the homeless live? We "invaded" (viewed) many bedrooms in this huge building where people are currently living and will no longer be able to stay. A lot of work needs to be done on this place. At the moment, it's in pretty bad shape. In the cold weather, the homeless build fires inside. Note the jewel of Detroit, the Renaissance Center, in the background in the drawing. This is withing easy walking distance of the Ren Center--unless one is very old or handicapped. Click images to view larger.

12 comments:

Dick said...: A lot of work and where can the homeless go?
You asked something of an old post on my blog, it is an anchor chain that was on the seabottom for a long time.; October 1, 2007 at 12:05 PM
Mary Stebbins Taitt said...: Thanks Dick, I was very curious!

Well, I'm not saying we should stop progress . . . but does anyone think about the human repercussions in our vulnerable populations?; October 1, 2007 at 1:05 PM
Fénix - Bostonscapes said...: You know, Mary, here in Boston the gentrification wave started about ten years ago and no one (outside the Boston Redevelopment Authority) really knew how much this city was going to change in such short period of time. Drop dead gorgeous, yes, but at what cost?

Everywhere you look a new luxury residential tower is being built or just completed. Starting price for a condo the size of a walk-in-closet? $400,000 and no less than $2,200/mo if you want to rent something decent. Salaries, however, have not changed much in the past five years. WTF?; October 1, 2007 at 2:35 PM
Mary Stebbins Taitt said...: Some of that was also going on in Syracuse and other cities where I've lived. They came in an bulldozed a tent city where homeless people lived and built a big parkinglot for people who worked in the renovated buildings to park their SUVs while meanwhile, people living in tents made out of old blankets and ripped tarps had one less place to stay.

And of course, you are right, normal folks have to pay more and more for everything. In Chicago, I can't attend conferences because it costs $20/hr to park near the conference center and they won't let you park anywhere else.

The people driving the SUVs don't even care, that's the worst of it. They look down their noses at the poor guy pushing a shopping cart with a sort-streaked face because he has no where to bathe.

But he is a sparrow. And just as human as the guy in the grey flannel suit driving the enormous SUV.; October 1, 2007 at 2:49 PM
Mary Stebbins Taitt said...: that should say soot-streaked. (I saw him yesterday outside the Global Trading company--where will he stay now?); October 1, 2007 at 2:50 PM
Marie said...: The problem is the same everywhere. Even in France where we are supposed to have the best welfare system in the world. Now "public housing" (government-owned?) apartment rents are almost as high as private ones. The state gives money to help people pay their rents, which makes poor taxpayers poorer. As we say l'argent attire l'argent. Who really cares?; October 1, 2007 at 2:53 PM
Mary Stebbins Taitt said...: I wonder if there is some better way to care for the poor and to help them live reasonable lives and have what they need to feed liked honorable members of society. Obviously what we are doing now isn't working. In the USA, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer and apparently ne'er the twain shall meet!

Thanks Marie!; October 1, 2007 at 3:02 PM
Fénix - Bostonscapes said...: Mary, to register for next theme day you need to go to the theme day page, log in there (with the forum id) and you should see a link to register right under "Theme Day for the month of November 2007
The Colour blue." Click that link and you'll see "Your blogs:
Detroit (Participating)" and you're done.

Hope this helps.; October 1, 2007 at 3:26 PM
Mary Stebbins Taitt said...: Thanks so much for your help! I got registered for November 1, Blue! Thanks! :-D

Now where can I find the badge? Anyone?; October 1, 2007 at 11:29 PM
Mary Stebbins Taitt said...: I also added a link to the theme page because I haven't learned how to navigate the cityblog site. So now I can find it again.; October 1, 2007 at 11:29 PM
NorthBayPhoto said...: Great photos and commentary.

Thanks for visiting my NorthBayPhoto blog.; October 2, 2007 at 10:36 AM
Mary Stebbins Taitt said...: Thanks so much, North Bay. I like to give a fully realized, integrated and rounded view of our fair city.

Last time I showed something that was deemed by some to be "negative," I got some really nasty feedback.

I'm cringing in preparation for that, but so far it hasn't happened.; October 3, 2007 at 8:45 AM