The Rocket Community Fund, based in Detroit, announced the return of Neighbor to Neighbor, the organization’s flagship community outreach and engagement program.
The effort connects all residents facing property tax delinquency with resources while also gathering data to develop and improve programs combatting property tax foreclosure, displacement, and housing instability.
The program is one of several partnerships with community organizations, Wayne County, and the city of Detroit that collectively achieved a 94 percent reduction in the number of homes entering the Wayne County Tax Auction from 2015-2019. The tax foreclosure auctions were paused during the pandemic.
Neighbor to Neighbor is a door-to-door canvassing effort that deepens connections between
local community development organizations (CDOs) and Detroit residents by meeting
residents where they are.
Canvassers educate residents on programs they may be eligible for, while simultaneously asking questions to understand where there are gaps in resources. Based on the conversations, the Rocket Community Fund, Neighbor to Neighbor partners, and residents collaborate to develop sustainable programs and investments to support solutions for the most pressing issues.
In 2020 and 2021, the Rocket Community Fund and community partners temporarily suspended the Neighbor to Neighbor campaign in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
They acknowledged the community’s ongoing needs, however, especially with the return of the foreclosure auction, and adapted to a phone-based canvassing model in 2022. While the transition to phone-based canvassing provided significant insights, it was always the intention of the Rocket Community Fund to return to in-person canvassing to better engage with residents directly.
Beginning this week, Neighbor to Neighbor will utilize canvassers to reach almost 60,000
households across Detroit neighborhoods over the next four months. Canvassing will take place city-wide.
Canvassers will provide residents with information on the Homeowners Property Exemption
(HOPE), how to challenge assessments, the Gilbert Family Foundation’s Detroit Tax Relief Fund, and the city of Detroit’s Pay as You Stay program. Residents also will receive information on programs related to digital access, like the Affordable Connectivity Program, and eviction, like the Detroit Eviction Defense Fund.
“We always take a resident-centered approach to our housing stability interventions,” says Laura Grannemann, executive director of the Rocket Community Fund. “Those who experience issues like property tax delinquency are the best suited to help us understand and shape solutions. Alongside our Neighbor to Neighbor partners, we are proud to physically meet residents where they are in order to learn from their experience and connect them to the right resources.”
Community organizations participating in door-to-door canvassing this year include:
• Bridging Communities
• Central Detroit Christian
• In Memory of Community Garden
• Midwest Civic Council of Block Clubs
• MACC Development
• Bailey Park
• U-Snap-Bac
• Congress of Communities
• Villages CDC
• Eastside Community Network
• Matrix Human Services
• Yorkshire Woods Community Organization
• Wayne Metro
• Marygrove Community Action
“The Neighbor to Neighbor program bridges the gap between residents and the resources they desperately need,” says Sheri Burton, president of the Midwest Civil Council of Block Clubs.
“Our organization is honored to be a part of this neighborhood canvassing effort to serve
District 6 residents. Together, we can empower our community and restore financial stability.”
Through the 2022 phone canvassing, the Rocket Community Fund and Neighbor to Neighbor partners gained significant insights into the current housing needs of Detroit residents, which were compiled into a report. Key findings include:
- 59 percent of respondents indicated that they did not have homeowners’ or renters’ insurance, which is not only vital to protecting against unforeseen accidents, but also can be a tool to address home repair needs.
- 82 percent of respondents said they did not have an estate plan or will to manage the
disposition of their property after their death, which often leads to “tangled titles” and
can result in the loss of generational wealth for Detroiters. - 80 percent of respondents indicated a need for at least one significant repair, with roofs, doors, and windows cited as the most common issue. This data affirms the importance of repair programs such as the Gilbert Family Foundation’s Detroit Home Repair Fund and the Rocket Community Fund’s support for the city of Detroit’s 0 percent interest home repair loan program.
The most critical objective of Neighbor to Neighbor outreach is assisting residents in applying for the city of Detroit’s Homeowners Property Exemption (HOPE) program. In 2022, a record 18,500 individuals enrolled in HOPE.
“The most important thing we do as a city is to help make sure the Detroiters who stayed are able to remain in their homes without fear of foreclosure,” says Mayor Mike Duggan. “Thanks to the Rocket Community Fund and the Neighbor to Neighbor program, we’ve been able reach every homeowner struggling with paying their property taxes in a way we were not able to before. With the help of this personal outreach, thousands more families are now taking advantage of the HOPE program and have peace of mind about their futures.”
HOPE enrollment also unlocks access to a variety of other programs, including the city of
Detroit’s Pay as You Stay (PAYS) program and the Gilbert Family Foundation’s Detroit Tax Relief Fund, which collectively eliminate overdue back property taxes for Detroit homeowners.The Detroit Tax Relief Fund has successfully eliminated the outstanding property tax debts of more than 7,000 Detroit families, who collectively owed more than $25 million.
Through HOPE and the utilization of the PAYS program, which waived fees, penalties, and other add-on expenses, the total burden was reduced to $4,739,353, which was paid in full by the Gilbert Family Foundation. The initiative has ensured that Detroiters retain more than $100 million in wealth and home equity.
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