Where Are All the People in Detroit - Occupancy and Foreclosure

There is a common media narrative that Detroit is empty, a blank slate, a blank canvas where anything can be done. However, this false narrative doesn't account for the nearly 700,000 people who do live in the city. The Wayne County Treasurer identified 61,912 properties in Detroit for foreclosure in 2015. Of these properties, 35,669 or 63% are occupied according to the MCM survey data. This process continues annually without government intervention to keep people in their homes. This map provides an alternative view of the impact of foreclosure on an already struggling city. The annual tax auction and foreclosure process pit people against governmental systems that do not serve resident or government bottom lines.