A gathering at the Allied Media Conference to hold space for critical dialogue and analysis on housing justice, centering the voices of those most impacted.

Approach

At a critical moment in Detroit’s evolution as the nation’s largest majority Black city, the Detroit Housing Justice Gathering sought to build cohesion and capacity among organizers and activists. Against the backdrop of one of the most segregated metropolitan regions in the nation, the network gathering will offer a space for critical dialogue and analysis, along with the voices of those most impacted. Discussions will center around the history of race and class struggles in Detroit’s housing landscape and how those patterns are repeating themselves in today’s hyper and privatized development activities. Goals for the gathering included:

• Centering race, class, intersectionality of housing justice issues (ex: water shut-offs, transit, etc)

• Centering the history of race and class in housing justice struggles in Detroit

• Centering the work being done on housing justice issues led by long-time Detroit residents

• Exploring Detroit as contested space - trends of inequitable development and racial injustice in revitalization efforts that threaten neighborhood survival

• Sharing best practices and strategies - walking through a model comprehensive housing plan

Role

As a member of the Tricycle Collective nonprofit, I was a coordinator for the housing justice gathering from initial concept, planning, and development through facilitation the day of the event. I worked in coalition with representatives from organizations including Detroit People’s Platform, Community Development Advocates of Detroit, and Charlevoix Village Association.

See the housing justice gathering on Allied Media Conference’s 2018 schedule