In 2005, the condition of Detroit reached an all-time low. From political corruption and home foreclosure to abandoned property and high unemployment, issues plagued every aspect of Detroit’s well-being. As unemployment rose, violence increased alongside it, and less and less people lived in the city of Detroit itself. As a result, there are large portions of the city, from individual houses to almost entire neighborhoods, that are abandoned.
While Benjamin Carson High School happens to be in Midtown Detroit, the abandoned building issue affects the school community as a whole. Many of the students at BCHS come from all over Detroit and beyond, and the abandoned buildings across the city cause some individuals to feel uncomfortable walking or catching the bus.
“I don’t like walking past abandoned homes or buildings because they are an eyesore, but, even worse, you don’t know if there are animals or people who don’t belong in there,” said Marcus May, a BCHS junior. “When you walk down the street in the suburbs, you walk past new supermarkets, nice, big houses, and parks. But not here.”
Some would say that Detroit has been forgotten. However, there are programs across the city that are working to combat the issue of abandoned buildings. One example of a school becoming involved in this fight is the Life Remodeled project at Cody High School, which focuses on making a change in the city since the summer of 2015 by boarding up local homes and putting up beautiful artwork.
“Bringing the Life Remodeled movement to Cody High School was not only for our students, but for the entire community,” said Marjani Jackson, school service assistant at Cody. “The students were so proud. They jumped at the opportunity to get up early, get on a shuttle, and help clean up their community.” A program like this resembles an example of how a school can be a useful tool in addressing community problems across the city.
Former Cody High School student Elexis Walls, who was also part of the movement, said, “helping Detroit Public Schools work on the school to make it better is a big step to improving the environment in which we go to school, making it a little bit better since abandoned houses aren’t safe for kids to be walking past on their way to or from school. It was good to have them boarded up.”
With the Life Remodeled project as an example, there is much that can be done in the school system to try and resolve the issue of abandoned houses in Detroit. Abandoned houses are not just an eyesore, but a threat to the safety of students at BCHS and throughout Detroit.
