How to Combat Poverty in Metro Detroit

Reflection #8: Resources for reporting a solutions story

I found a list of resources that would be beneficial to writing a solutions journalism piece on poverty in Metro Detroit, specifically how it affects people of color. I also included quotes that emphasized each takeaway.

1. https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2016/04/26/detroit-has-highest-concentrated-poverty-rate/83395596/

   1. Detroit has highest concentrated poverty rate among top 25 metro areas

   2. “The Brookings report shows that concentrated poverty is a bigger problem among African Americans and Latinos. In metro Detroit, 49% of African Americans who are poor are living in census tracts where at least 40% of the residents are poor, the highest rate among the Top 25 metro areas in the U.S. and seventh among the Top 100 metro areas. Among whites in metro Detroit, the rate of concentrated poverty is much lower, at 14.8%.”

2. https://journalistsresource.org/economics/15-minimum-wage-research/

   1. A $15 minimum wage: What the research says

   2. “A federal minimum wage increase to $12 could lift 6.6 million people out of poverty, reducing the poverty rate by 2.45 percentage points, according to a 2017 Institute of Labor Economics discussion paper by University of Massachusetts Amherst economist Arindrajit Dube.”

3. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2676323?casa_token=gJj1ZkuorPMAAAAA%3A6Z_Oii-dhn-_ADd3ONUHo10zZSSbCfaPGbCRgmzwEtyx-hF1ejcG5Cs-M683_Wmmmyd-c_SAMUwzt5GH5AwVQxBnx_JAEvjrdPKxSH02E7Bue8B1W--S&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

   1. Unfair Treatment, Neighborhood effects, and Mental Health in Detroit Metropolitan Area

   2. “We propose that mental and emotional wellbeing are influence by aspects of the social context, including experiences of unfair treatment and the concentration of households with incomes below the poverty level and that differential exposure to these factors influences racial differences in mental well-being”

   3. This study points out the very heavy fact that people with more money report less stress, regardless of race, than people with lower socioeconomic status

4. https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2004.042150

   1. Neighborhood Racial Composition, Neighborhood Poverty, and the Spatial Accessibility of Supermarkets in Metropolitan Detroit

   2. “Racial residential segregation disproportionately places African Americans in more-impoverished neighborhoods in Detroit and consequently reduces access to supermarkets. However, supermarkets have opened or remained open close to middle-income neighborhoods that have transitioned from White to African American.”

5. https://poverty.umich.edu/projects/projects-in-detroit/

   1. DETROIT PARTNERSHIP ON ECONOMIC MOBILITY

   2. “Despite the recent economic recovery in Detroit, there remain systemic challenges rooted in a history of racial discrimination and segregation”.

   3. This is a great local organization dedicated to fighting poverty that has developed out of the University of Michigan

      1. It would be a great idea to get an interview with Laura Urteaga-Fuentes, a City of Detroit Homelessness Policy Fellow

6. https://www.michigan.gov/helpinghand/

   1. This website is another amazing local resource to help people with look for jobs, help with unemployment, advice/ help with health, family support, and assistance with housing/homelessness.

7. https://www.clickondetroit.com/community/2021/01/27/new-mentorship-program-in-detroit-aims-to-break-poverty-cycle/

   1. New mentorship program in Detroit aims to break poverty cycle

   2. “Mentors work with children from age 4 until they graduate high school.”

   3. “It doesn’t necessarily erase things that kids go through, but just having one support person in their life can kind of change their outlook,” Ahrens said.

   4. “Someone who’s dedicated to have time and space and resources for a particular child.”

   5. An interview with this organization would also be great for a local perspective.

      1. The interview should be with Nicole McKinney, the executive director for Friends of the Children Detroit,

Story Pitch:

The increased poverty level in Detroit has been mentioned in the media, but not many solutions. I found multiple articles stating how the poverty levels are lingering effects of previous racist laws subjecting POC to horrible living situations. However, the Detroit officials and partners are truly trying to make a difference by implementing support and programs for community members to help fight poverty.

Story Intro/Beginning:

Detroit has faced problems with rising poverty levels since the 1960’s but new perspectives and programs are helping to fight against poverty and the consequences that come along with. Organizations such as Poverty Solutions (University of Michigan) are partnering up to help educate and find solutions to put an end to both adult and child poverty.

Another aspect of our society that is changing is the ability to recognize issues and identify how to resolve them. An example of this being that one of the fastest ways to cut down on the poverty level in both Metro Detroit and all over this country would be to raise the minimum wage. However this dream may soon become a reality with President Biden hinting at raising the wage to $15.00 an hour.

In an effort to raise awareness on poverty and what it feels like to have low socio-economic status in this country. Developers have created simulations, such as the game Spent, to help give people a day in the life of someone struggling. This "game" gives a very accurate depiction of how life can really kick you when you're down.