Is there a silver lining in all this misery? Can we find some opportunity in this situation? The average price of a house in Detroit is $16,000.00 less than most cars cost. There is also endless amounts of green space in Detroit due to the demolition of thousands of house over the last twenty years.
There are many small grassroots organizations finding creative solutions to some of the tough challenges facing the city. Recently a handful of these organizations have gained national attention and will hopefully materialize into a full blown movement. These organizations are part of the reason we are bringing Project M to Detroit.
Some of these organizations include:
Powerhouse Project which was started by artists Gina Reichert and Mitch Cope in March of 2008. They began by purchasing a house and two plots of land for $4,900.00. They kept their house off the grid by adding solar heat and power in addition to fixing it up and painting it very creatively. They are now trying to get other artists to join them in there new neigborhood.
Object Orange was also started by artists, for different reasons though. They wanted to call attention to delapitated houses that needed to be bulldozed. By painting these houses "Triggerific Orange" they call attention to these abandoned homes in the hopes that the city will demolish them.
100 Abandoned houses website showes phot of 100 abandoned homes, it not only spread awarness and puts the issue into prospective but it also has liks to buy some of these homes.
We obviously have some major challenges facing us as we try to jump in and become part of the possative change that may or may or may not come to Detroit. Many of us that will be part of Project M Detroit are originally from this once great city. We can't ignore the enormous oppurtunities that exist in this current environment. And we can't help but hope that Detroit will be reborn like cities a century ago that were destryed by fires and earthquakes emerging fromthe ruble to become great again.
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