July 28, 2025 • 45 mins
Four directors from the Gilbert Family Foundation reveal how half a billion dollars is revitalizing Detroit through interconnected investments in parks, arts, small business, and housing. JJ Velez explains how community-designed public spaces become neighborhood anchors. Akua Hill shares how cultural initiatives preserve Detroit's authentic identity while creating economic opportunities. Linda Nozegbe discusses connecting residents with growing sectors and providing small business capital. Andrea Benson tackles housing stability through innovative, affordable solutions like factory-built homes.
Together, they demonstrate how comprehensive urban transformation works when community voices lead the way, addressing gentrification concerns while ensuring longtime residents benefit from improvements. A fascinating look inside one of Detroit's most significant neighborhood investment initiatives.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Craig Fahle (00:10):
Greetings everyone and welcome to the VVK podcast.
I'm your host, craig Folley, onthis program.
We love to discuss interestingthings about and in our
community, and oftentimes thepeople we work with are directly
responsible for thoseinteresting things, and today is
no exception.
The Gilbert Family Foundationwas founded by Dan and Jennifer
Gilbert in 2015.
(00:31):
And then in 2021, along withthe Rocket Community Fund, made
a joint 10-year $500 millioncommitment to build opportunity
in Detroit neighborhoodsneighborhoods.
That commitment hassignificantly helped in a number
of areas, including expandedparks and green space,
investments in the arts,affordable housing programs and
efforts to increase economicmobility for detroit residents.
(00:52):
On today's program, we'll speakto the directors of the various
programs to find out more abouthow these investments will move
our city forward.
Stay tuned for conversationswith JJ Velez, Linda Nozegbe,
akua hill and Andrea Benson.
There's a lot going on intoday's VVK podcast, so please
stay with us.
Stay tuned for conversationswith JJ Velez, linda Nozegbe,
akua Hill and Andrea Benson.
There's a lot going on intoday's VVK podcast, so please
(01:15):
stay with us.
My first guest is JJ Velez,director of Public Spaces.
It's a pleasure to have youhere, sir, and it's nice to see
you again.
Yes.
JJ Velez (01:23):
Hey, good morning Craig.
Thank you for having meAbsolutely and first of all,
director of Public Spaces.
Craig Fahle (01:26):
It's a pleasure to have you here, sir, and it's
nice to see you again.
Yeah, say good morning, Craig.
Thank you for having meAbsolutely, and first of all,
Director of Public Spaces a cooltitle.
Tell me a little bit about yourdepartment and the work that
you're doing right now.
JJ Velez (01:33):
Yeah, so the team that I lead for the Gilbert Family
Foundation focuses primarily ondevelopment and redevelopment of
public spaces within the cityof Detroit.
We also focus on program andplacemaking within those public
spaces, as well as the idea ofcomplete streets.
How are people accessing thepublic spaces, as well as the
(01:55):
programs, in an equitable way?
One portion of the work that weare starting to do right now is
really focusing on thesustainability of the work that
we are doing within the publicspace world, making sure that
not only it's sustainable forclimate, but also for long-term,
for the community and theresidents within the city of
(02:17):
Detroit.
Craig Fahle (02:18):
Well, talk about the importance of public spaces
and the creation of publicspaces in a city like Detroit.
I mean, there are a number ofproblems and issues that the
city of Detroit is dealing with.
Why is this as important assome of the other things that
we're trying to deal with?
JJ Velez (02:32):
Yeah, great question.
I think, you know, we, the cityof Detroit, you know, largest
city coming out of bankruptcyand one of the things that we've
learned is that, through thatwhole process, and even through
the pandemic, public spacesreally has brought individuals
together.
During the pandemic, forexample, where individuals were
(02:56):
stuck inside, the only placethat you could go outside was
these public spaces for allpurposes of health, public
spaces and for all purposes ofhealth.
And so, you know, looking atgreen spaces and public spaces
really allows us to, you know,reimagine what these spaces are
for individuals.
I think for a very long time inthe city of Detroit, residents
(03:22):
have just been given things thatthey may not necessarily want
or have, and when we look atutilizing these spaces and
bringing in community members toredesign these spaces in
particular, allows them to havesome buy-in.
Craig Fahle (03:37):
Well, that buy-in is important and you mentioned
engagement efforts.
To talk a little bit about howyou sort of approach that
process and when you're lookingat engagement and you're trying
to get people involved in this,what are you asking of people?
JJ Velez (03:48):
So for us, you know, we don't do the engagement.
In particular, we work withCity of Detroit's you know
general service department.
They've done an unbelievablejob in the last decade with
community involvement.
And then we look at otherorganizations, other nonprofits
that we're looking at to support, who have the thumb on the
(04:09):
community and the residents andlean on them to do the community
engagement but ultimately, youknow, just trying to hear what
individuals and residents reallywant and see in their
communities, rather than ussaying, hey, this is what we
think you want.
Craig Fahle (04:29):
You know you and I have seen each other at a number
of these.
You know ribbon cuttings forrenovated park spaces and things
along those lines, but you cansee the physical changes to some
of these public spaces, but arethere things that we can't see
in terms of the impact thatthese spaces are having on the
neighborhoods?
JJ Velez (04:41):
Yeah, you know that's also a great question.
You know, a lot of people seethe end product.
They don't see how the sausageis made, in particular, and it's
a lot of steps from start tofinish.
Specifically on public spaces,they take up to a year and a
half, two years from start tofinish, and that includes all
(05:02):
the public engagement, all thecommunity workshops, as well as
putting out RFPs for findingarchitects and organizations or
construction.
Craig Fahle (05:13):
Know, when creating these, we have to keep in mind
that we have to have flexibilitybecause you know they may
change, narratives may change,so Well, you know, anytime you
(05:35):
bring in new investment to aneighborhood, though, I mean,
and especially in a city likeDetroit, which had seen
disinvestment for so longthere's a certain level of
suspicion that comes along withthat.
There are people that worrythat by making a park nicer, by
adding a new apartment buildingor some new condos, that in
effect, you're basicallyencouraging gentrification.
How does that play into yourplanning in terms of that and
(05:56):
preventing that from actuallyhappening?
JJ Velez (05:59):
So you know, I think the way we look at this work is
we can't ignore the noise, right?
You know there has been a verylong time where you know a lot
of these amenities for Detroitresidents didn't exist, and so
you know part of that is itdoesn't change the work that we
do or how we go about doing it.
(06:19):
I think that by creating thesepublic spaces allows values of
homes to go up once they'recompleted and if individuals
have lived there and they decidethat, hey, listen, you know
I've seen my value of myproperty go up, I want to sell,
that's on them.
But ultimately it doesn'tchange the work that we go to do
(06:40):
because for the most part, alot of the residents in that
community really want to see,want these investments, um, and
they will stay.
You know there's just a smallpercentage or small portion of
those residents that decide toeither sell, leave or even new
residents come in.
Craig Fahle (06:57):
I, you know, I sort of want to talk about the
reaction that you get from thepublic when you do some of these
ribbon cuttings and what youhear from people you know.
So you've got.
You mentioned Complete Streets.
You know bike lanes are alwaysa subject we can talk about a
little bit.
They're very sort of polarizing.
But what's the reaction youtypically get when you finish
one of these projects from theneighbors?
JJ Velez (07:18):
Yeah, so let's go back to the Complete Streets.
So Complete Streets for usisn't just bike lanes.
It's also signage right,wayfinding signage, things of
(07:40):
that nature.
That is specifically work thatmy team does is so rewarding.
One of the best parts of whenwe get to a completion of a
project and prior to ribboncutting is going into the
parking, just seeing there andseeing the families, the
generations of playing and theinteractions of individuals To
know that I have helped, we havehelped to, to create and
(08:04):
cultivate this space.
And people have no clue, right,and I just it's not like I tell
them, I just sit there and justhave simple conversations, um,
but for the most part,individuals are so grateful, um,
for the investment in theircommunity and that actually
people have started to listen.
Craig Fahle (08:23):
I should remind folks, my guest right now is JJ
Velez, director of public spacesfor the Gilbert Family
Foundation.
You just mentioned somethinginvestment, right?
Yes, one of the concerns thatresidents have is that, okay,
this is done now, but do we?
You know what happens when thephilanthropic support for these
efforts ends?
Who's going to maintain theseparks?
Is the city going to be able todo the work, or is it going to
(08:48):
be similar to what happenedbefore, where we saw the neglect
and the people not maintainingparks for decades?
JJ Velez (08:54):
Yeah, you know, I definitely hear those sentiments
.
I will say that, workinghand-to-hand with General
Service Department in the city,prior to my role here at the
Goodwill Family Foundation, Iwas director of Parks and
Recreation for the city ofDetroit, so I know the ins and
outs of how local municipalityand the organization works.
(09:17):
But it's really what theRecreation Department and GSD
has done in the last severalyears, with creating a 10-year
strategic master plan on thedevelopment of public spaces in
the city of Detroit, reallyshowcases what it means to
identify the parks and how thecity is still coming to the
table to support and cleaningand making sure that these parks
(09:42):
are kept up to standards right,and so for us it's making sure
that we are lockstep with thecity in doing so.
But yes, you know, it's alwaysat times can be a tricky
situation to navigate.
Craig Fahle (09:59):
Well, talk about that for just a second, because
who's sort of driving thedecision making on where to
invest, which projects to takeon?
Is that you or is that the city?
JJ Velez (10:07):
That's the city.
Honestly, the city is thelargest owner of land here in
Detroit and so, other than that,you know they've created this
10-year master plan that hastaken several years to create
and it just identifies, in aphase approach, where the most
need is and the neglect over thelast several decades and how
(10:30):
they are going to approach,using both general fund dollars
that they have to renovate,philanthropic dollars and
looking at opportunities throughlocal, state and federals to
support the renovations of theseparks.
Craig Fahle (10:44):
Well, jj Velez, we appreciate your time.
Thanks for the work that you'redoing.
The city is benefiting from itand we appreciate your time.
Well, thank you so much forhaving me.
Welcome back to the VVK Podcast.
I'm your host, craig Folley,glad to have you with us on this
wonderful day.
Well, hopefully it's wonderful.
It's a podcast, so who knows?
It could be three weeks fromnow.
(11:07):
I'm not even sure, but thatdoesn't matter.
We are continuing our visitwith the Gilbert Family
Foundation today.
We've been talking about anumber of different ways that
they'd like to utilize theirphilanthropic dollars, and we're
going to talk a little bitabout arts and culture.
Right now.
My guest is Akua Hill, who isthe Director of Arts and Culture
for the Gilbert FamilyFoundation.
Welcome to the podcast.
It's a pleasure to have youhere.
Akua Hill (11:26):
Thanks, craig, appreciate you having me.
Craig Fahle (11:27):
Well, first of all, arts and culture.
It's a very wide subject.
Akua Hill (11:35):
Talk a little bit about your department and the
work specifically that you'redoing there.
I agree, first of all, I thinka lot of people, when we hear
arts and culture, it's kind oflike what does that mean?
Often we're thinking aboutmuseums and arts on the wall,
and it's so much more than that.
And then when you tie inculture, that really expands
into a whole other universe.
That is sometimes not visibleand tangible, but it's so
important and informs the waythat we connect as human beings,
(11:56):
the way that we build communitywith one another.
And so when we talk about artsand culture here at the
foundation, what we're reallytalking about is the fabric that
makes people, that allowspeople to make meaning of life.
There is expression, creativeexpression.
That is often what we thinkabout, whether it's visual arts,
(12:17):
whether it's performance rightgoing to the opera or seeing a
dance performance.
And then when we talk aboutculture Detroit has such a rich
culture we're talking aboutthings that are really kind of
like the vibe.
You know, when people talkabout vibe it's not necessarily
something that you can put yourfinger on, but people know what
it feels like when they come toDetroit and that's why they come
(12:40):
.
Craig Fahle (12:40):
That's interesting that you put it that way,
because putting a value onsomething like that is a
difficult thing to do.
The public doesn't oftenrecognize how these things may
impact them and that makes a lotof discussions around arts and
culture difficult conversationsto have.
Akua Hill (12:53):
Absolutely what can you tell people about the value
of these things, that makes themsort of more accepting of some
of the investments that youmight be making.
It's such a good question andit's a question that we are
often having at both the local,state, national and global level
.
Why is it important for us toincorporate arts and culture
(13:14):
strategies, even when we'rethinking about planning for
spaces, right?
The reason why is because, ifyou think about a city that had
no creative energy runningthrough its veins, it would be
pretty boring.
People wouldn't want to livethere, people wouldn't be doing
things after work, you know, andsometimes we don't understand
(13:35):
how much of a value it has untilsomething like that is not
existent.
But how often, you know, whenyou're going for your walk or
you're in the gym, you'reputting on music, right, that is
giving you a fuel when you'rehaving experiences with your
family and loved ones.
Often it includes some form ofartistic expression and even
just the design of the spacesthat we're in.
(13:55):
People are not thinking aboutthe fact that someone designed
that with creative intention.
Right, no-transcript, connectwith identity and heritage and
(14:24):
feel like their story is toldand represented in the space
that they, you know, that theylive in and those reflections of
creative expression and cultureare really important and when
we talk about valuing them, it'sreally important that when
we're thinking strategicallyabout what it means to build a
city a thriving city that ismade up of thriving communities
(14:45):
that arts and culture is a partof that conversation.
Craig Fahle (14:49):
One of the other things that seems to work its
way into this conversation,though, is the idea of
authenticity.
When you're talking aboutidentifying the culture of a
community, maybe investing in amural project or funding some
musicians or any other sort ofways that you're doing this, how
do you sort of gauge whether ornot that's genuine Detroit and
something that's going to beappreciated and valued here?
Akua Hill (15:11):
Well, one thing I'm sure you know is, detroiters can
sniff out a fake very quickly,right?
So authenticity is superimportant.
And I love that questionbecause, to me, what it makes me
think of immediately is ourfocus on neighborhood-based arts
and culture activations.
What that means is we can't doa cut and paste, right?
(15:31):
Every neighborhood has its ownpersonality, its own energy
about it, residents that havetheir own stories and histories,
and those stories are importantto be told.
So when we talk aboutsupporting arts and culture
right, it's not this blanketedstatement.
We are particularly here at GFFwe're focused on supporting
neighborhood-based artists andarts organizations that are
(15:53):
telling those unique stories atthat ground level.
And the reason why that isimportant is because we all know
what it feels like whensomebody is telling your story
for you and it's not authenticor it doesn't hit correctly, and
so, for that reason, it'sreally important that we support
and lift up and amplify artistsand arts organizations that are
(16:14):
telling that special and uniquestory of their neighborhoods.
Craig Fahle (16:17):
Do you feel, though , sometimes that you're sort of
swimming upstream, because itseems that what you're talking
about, in creating authenticityand making sure that every
neighborhood has its own sort ofidentity, is the exact opposite
of what we're seeing across thecountry, where you go to every
town and they've got the samerestaurant, the same place, the
same sort of vibe oh, when arewe going to get a Cheesecake
Factory?
You know, that kind of stuffseems to dominate a lot of that
conversation, making it moredifficult, and the economic
(16:40):
might is oftentimes behind thoselarger sorts of movements out
there that people seem to like.
Akua Hill (16:47):
Yeah, I think in a world where we're seeing a lot
more mergers and kind of justthis, things being put together,
to create Homogeneity.
Yes, I think it actually driveshome the very reason why we need
more of those smaller, uniquevoices.
Folks, look at some of thebigger.
(17:09):
Something gets right.
Let's say you have one companymerges with another, merges with
another, merges with anotherand no judgment.
Right, that's your businesstrajectory, great.
But we also know that there'ssomething that feels different
when you are looking at thevisuals right, the ways that
certain things that you'reinteracting with are represented
and you see yourself in it.
(17:30):
There's a deeper connectionthere.
There is a pride that you kindof like.
That gets activated in you whenyou're participating and
engaging with something that'sbeen designed with you in mind.
Craig Fahle (17:43):
Well, let's, you know, let's sort of focus this a
little bit more here, and youlook at a city like Austin,
Texas, which had that motto keepAustin weird for a long, long
time, and I just wonder howwe're doing at keeping Detroit,
detroit.
Akua Hill (17:55):
You know that's a great question.
I think it depends on who youask.
I think we're doing a great job.
I think because I have theprivilege of being very
connected and rooted within ourarts and culture ecosystem.
I'm often just in awe by howmany creatives and how our
creative labor just shapes thefabric of this city over and
(18:18):
over again.
You know we have lots ofartists in the city that are
struggling to, you know, make alivelihood, but it's so
important to them that they arecontinuing to tell these stories
, continuing to challenge us, tosee the world in new ways,
right, which is what creativityreally allows for.
And I can't imagine a Detroitwhere that autonomy and that
(18:42):
power is ever taken away fromthe folks that call this place
home.
Craig Fahle (18:47):
Well, you know, there are always going to be
artists out there who are notmaybe getting grants to do
certain things.
They don't feel like they'reseen or necessarily heard or
supported.
How do you sort of navigatethat space, Because that is a
constant criticism?
I mean, you know there's goingto be a number of people out
there who feel that their workshould be appreciated more.
Akua Hill (19:07):
Yeah, you know, here at the foundation we're
constantly asking ourselves whatis the role of philanthropy,
right, in a ecosystem like that,like what you just described,
and it is our job to figure outwhen we look at those inequities
right, and so we know thatthere are some of the kind of
larger anchor institutions thathave been around for a long time
(19:28):
and are maybe resourced, youknow, at a rate that allows them
to continue right, and then wehave the artists, like you said,
that maybe don't feel as seen,don't feel as resourced.
It's our job to say, when welook at the entire ecosystem,
where are those gaps in support?
How are we centering right in amajority Black city?
(19:48):
How are we making sure thatsmall arts organizations that
are led by Black people, thatartists that represent the city,
that call this place home andmaybe even generations before
have called this place home?
How are we making sure thatthey are also getting the
support Because they are just asimportant a part of the
ecosystem as our larger anchorinstitutions?
Craig Fahle (20:11):
I should remind folks, my guest right now is
Akua Hill, Director of Arts andCulture for the Gilbert Family
Foundation.
You know we talked about theimportance of art and culture at
the beginning of thisconversation.
I want to sort of get back tothat, because it often seems
that as we're having discussionsabout budgets, politics,
whatever, one of the firstthings that gets put on the
chopping block is the arts.
And because people don'tnecessarily always see that
(20:34):
value or they think it's maybesupporting some liberal person
who knows what it is.
But what would you like to sayto government officials who are
looking at budgets and lookingfor places to cut budgets, about
where they should go?
Akua Hill (20:47):
Yeah, and we're literally seeing that right now.
I think even growing up, Iremember hearing folks talk
about the arts being cut fromeducation.
Right, that was always thefirst budget line to get us out
of here, right, and more.
You know, we've had more andmore research over the years
that showed just how importantarts education is for the
development of young people.
(21:07):
So that's just one piece, right.
However, I think that when wethink about arts and culture not
just as a luxury, not just as anice to have, which it is right
, we enjoy going to a show, weenjoy being able to put on some
good music in our ear pods, butit can be so much more than that
.
So it's about how we're usingit to drive things like
(21:30):
community development, which,here at the foundation, that is
our angle.
That is how we are constantlylooking at arts and culture as a
driver of equitable communitydevelopment, as a driver of
economic growth for our city,and as a driver of economic
growth for our city and as adriver of, basically, how we
continue to shape and define theidentity of our city, even as
(21:54):
it evolves.
That's why the artist's voiceis so critical, because they
have the ability to look atwhat's happening around us and
represent it through creativeexpression.
Craig Fahle (22:04):
Well, I have one last question for you, because I
think this is an important partof this whole process.
Is that?
You know, we are a metricsdriven society, right?
People want to be able tomeasure results and impact, and
with something like art andculture, it's a much more
difficult thing to do.
But how do you go aboutmeasuring your success?
Akua Hill (22:23):
Yeah, I have two answers to that question.
So often, right, when we'retalking about metrics, we're
looking at numbers, and there'sbeen a lot of really interesting
research lately and researchthat we are starting to lean
into as well, around how artsand culture is directly related
to economic growth.
How do creative economies play arole in cities?
Right, that's something thatwe're really interested in
(22:45):
exploring more and kind of getsto your question around metrics,
and I think that, especially inthe arts and culture world,
right, there's an opportunity tosay that quantitative data is
not the only measurement ofimpact.
Right, a lot of times, whenwe're talking to a grandma who
took her child to see the balletfor the first time, right, it's
(23:06):
not that there was a numberthat you could put on the value
of that experience, right, butthe young and this is a true
story One of the families that'spart of our Culture Pass
program that was launched lastyear she told her grandma she
was like I will never forgetthis day, like this was so great
, you know.
And so everything doesn't needto be measured by a hard number.
(23:27):
It is also about humanconnection, human experience,
memories that we're creating,and, honestly, arts and culture
really ties together thoseexperiences for lots of folks.
Craig Fahle (23:37):
Well, we certainly appreciate talking to you.
Akua Hill, Director of Arts andCulture for the Gilbert Family
Foundation.
Thank you so much for your timeFascinating conversation.
Akua Hill (23:44):
Thank you, craig, appreciate it.
Craig Fahle (23:46):
Welcome back to the VVK podcast.
I'm Craig Folley.
Thanks very much for being withus today as we continue our
discussion with the GilbertFamily Foundation.
Of course I mentioned at thebeginning of this program, they
are involved in all sorts ofdifferent problem-solving areas
here in our community, and todaywe're going to talk about the
issue of economic mobility.
My guest right now is Linda
Linda Nosegbe (24:07):
Nozegbe
Craig Fahle (24:07):
, director of Economic Mobility for the
Gilbert Family Foundation.
Linda, welcome to the program,it's a pleasure.
Linda Nosegbe (24:12):
Thanks for having me.
Craig Fahle (24:13):
Absolutely.
And let's start out withsomething simple, because this
is a term that gets bandiedabout a lot economic mobility.
It's kind of a buzzword, butwhat do we mean when we're
talking about economic mobility?
Linda Nosegbe (24:24):
So when we're talking about economic mobility
in the city of Detroit, what itreally means is the Gilbert
Family Foundation wants toprovide access to capital for
small business owners, as wellas the whole wraparound services
for families.
So, whether it's workforcedevelopment, access to education
or technology, that is reallywhat the embodiment of the work
is all about.
Craig Fahle (24:45):
And I mean traditionally.
There are, I'm assuming, a lotof barriers to this.
Which ones are you trying totackle?
Linda Nosegbe (24:55):
So, while we're not trying to boil the whole
ocean, what we're really tryingto address is access to capital
for small business owners.
How do they gain access?
What are the partners we needto identify in the ecosystem to
help those small business owners?
When you talk about educationand emerging industries, we've
identified the top fiveindustries that are coming into
Detroit, and so we're justtrying to address those ones.
Craig Fahle (25:18):
When you're talking about technology, healthcare,
it services, professionalservices, as well as advanced
manufacturing and skilled trade,you know you were mentioning
small businesses as well, so whydon't we talk a bit about that
here?
I mean, because it's one thingto just give somebody some money
to help them start their smallbusiness, but that probably
doesn't necessarily solve theproblem.
Linda Nosegbe (25:37):
No, it does not solve the problem.
I've had an opportunity ofspeaking to a lot of small
business owners in the ecosystemand we have different layers
right.
So you have those who arestarting up, who really do need
the money for that.
Then you have those who arelooking to scale, who actually
need to be able to have accessto capital, but not just as free
(25:57):
money but actually like a lineof credit to drive.
Then we have technicalassistance providers in the
ecosystem that helps them drivethat that.
So Weta is teaching them aboutunderstanding their balance
sheets, making sure that theyare ready to market their
business utilizing social media.
So we have partners whoactually offer those services as
(26:19):
well not just the access tocapital, but everything that
comes with being a businessowner.
And so, as they scale up, wework with different partners to
help identify it as fundingplaces for them to open up their
shop and to work that way.
Craig Fahle (26:54):
What needs to be done to make that a more
seamless process?
Linda Nosegbe (26:57):
So for us at the Gilbert Family Foundation, what
we have done is identifiedpartners in the ecosystem that
are aware of opportunities thatare coming into the city of
Detroit.
Then what we do is we partnerwith other entities who can help
train individuals to beprepared for those jobs.
So, yes, while you are right,while we cannot guarantee that
(27:17):
that translation of traininggets into jobs, but at least
you're aware of what is comingin, we have the right partners
in place.
So I feel like we have theright partners in place to help
educate individuals to be readyfor this type of job
opportunities that are coming in.
So, whether it's skilled trade,manufacturing, it, healthcare,
we're making those investmentsand ensuring that Detroiters
(27:38):
have the know-how and theknowledge to be ready for those
opportunities.
Craig Fahle (27:42):
You know there has been a lot of discussion in
recent weeks because of politicsand everything else that's
going on about, you know,reshoring certain jobs to the
United States and bringing backmanufacturing.
You know, is thating certainjobs to the United States and
bringing back manufacturing, youknow, is that realistic?
I mean because you mentionedthe five sectors that you are
sort of focused on right now asthe ones that are actually
locating in Detroit.
Should you continue preparingfor that, or is it important to
(28:05):
prepare for something that mayor may not happen in the future?
Linda Nosegbe (28:08):
So, while there are things that are happening in
the political realm, our focusreally truly is how do we enable
and embody Detroiters to beready for what is currently here
?
We've identified what isreadily available.
We're making sure that we'reinvesting in those areas of
expertise and what is needed.
Manufacturing is not what itused to be, however.
(28:29):
It has advanced, and so we wantto make sure that we have that
kind of training in place soindividuals are ready for what
is now and not in the past.
Craig Fahle (28:38):
What is the ecosystem like in terms of
finding partners for this kindof work?
Are there enough people outthere that are equipped to
handle this thing that you, youknow, or are we not in a good
place?
Linda Nosegbe (28:49):
Oh no, we actually Detroit when they say
Detroit is resilient.
We have the right people, wehave the right training, we have
the right partners.
We have I think we haveeverything that we need to make
it work, and it's just makingsure that the individuals or the
residents are aware of what isactually available to them.
And that's what we try to dohere is making sure that the
(29:11):
partners that we work with aregrassroots partners who have
access to people that can tellthem about these opportunities
that are available to them.
Craig Fahle (29:19):
You know, one of the sort of criticisms of a lot
of job training initiatives andeducational initiatives for
people in cities like Detroit isthat there's too much of a
focus on emerging technology,high tech jobs, things like that
, and that we're sort offoregoing more traditional
blue-collar employmentopportunities, you know, skilled
trades.
And what is the balance there?
(29:41):
Is there a good balance or dowe need to be thinking future,
as opposed to what, you know,Michigan and Detroit may have
been in the past?
Linda Nosegbe (29:48):
So for what I've seen in the landscape, we are
very.
Detroit has changed vastly fromwhat it was the last 10, 15
years.
We are no longer the we'restill the motor city.
However, we are advancing intechnology.
So we have an investment calledVenture 313 that focuses on
tech.
This is for tech startups whoare looking to scale as well.
(30:09):
So you have that landscape thatis growing, that is actually
turned into something else,where people are actually
looking at Detroit as the nextSilicon Valley.
So there are a lot of thingswithin the ecosystem that are
happening.
So it's not just manufacturinganymore.
You have health care that isexploring it is actually the
number one employer in the cityof Detroit followed by IT.
(30:30):
Then you have technology withother startups and things of
that nature, and then let's notforget the small business owners
as well.
That is exploring in its ownentity as well, and we have
partners in the right place thatare providing those
opportunities for people toscale up in those sectors.
Craig Fahle (30:46):
Well, I mean, these are efforts that require
enormous investments, right, anda lot of follow through to make
sure that people areprogressing on the path that you
want them to and you're gettingthem to where they need to be.
Talk a little bit about howyou're measuring the impact.
How do you know if this issuccessful and what does it look
like in terms of you know whenyou might not be needed for this
(31:09):
sort of stuff any longer?
Linda Nosegbe (31:11):
So I think, as long as mankind is on this earth
, we're always going to beneeded Sure.
Craig Fahle (31:15):
Because we're still producing.
Linda Nosegbe (31:20):
There are kids that are coming up.
So that is the reason why ourpillars is really truly
addressing that whole wraparoundservice for economic mobility.
So when we talk about education, you do have to address that,
so that individuals know what isawaiting them when they go into
the workforce space.
If you decide that you want tobe an entrepreneur, what is
available for you in that space?
If you decide you want to bethe next Steve Jobs or Elon Musk
(31:41):
, what do we have?
We have all of those resourceshere, and so, for us, success
will be when we're able to makesure that more than 80% of
Detroiters are in that middleclass level where our poverty
level has actually reduced andwe actually have more people
that are coming back into thecity of Detroit wanting to live
(32:01):
here because of theopportunities that we have here
for them.
That is how I measure success.
Craig Fahle (32:06):
Well, you know you talk about the middle class.
Well, you know you talk aboutthe middle class.
It's an interesting discussionto have, because I think one of
the sort of measuring sticks forwhether or not somebody is
middle class is whether or notyou're able to pass something on
to the next generation.
Linda Nosegbe (32:25):
It may not be anything big, but generational
wealth is a key component thathas been missing for a lot of
Detroiters for a long time.
Is that a measuring stick foryou?
And I think we address thatthrough financial literacy.
Right, because I could bemaking $60,000 a year and be
more wealthier than someonewho's making $200,000 a year
just because I understand how toplan and how to manage my money
If we have those resources thatare addressing it and we don't
want to wait until someone is 18or 21 to teach them that.
That is just one way to startwith education.
(32:47):
You start it in schools andthat just translates out to
generational wealth.
So that's what I mean by wehave a long work ahead of us,
but as long as we do it in theright path and the pillars that
we have, I do see some changes,maybe like one or two
generations down, where we'reactually able to say yes, we
were part of that success.
Craig Fahle (33:06):
All right.
Well, Linda, we appreciate yourtime.
Thank you very much.
Linda Nosegbe (33:09):
Thank you for having me have a great one.
Craig Fahle (33:15):
Linda Nozegbe, director of Economic Mobility
for the Gilbert FamilyFoundation, joining us here on
the VVK Podcast.
Welcome back, everybody, to theVVK Podcast.
Pleasure to have you with us.
I hope you're enjoying theprogram.
So far Today we have spent alot of time talking with experts
from the Gilbert FamilyFoundation about the various
things that they are working onand, if you remember, in the
intro, one of the things Italked about was housing and the
importance of housing stabilityin a city like Detroit.
(33:36):
My guest today, Andrea Benson,director of Housing Stability
for the Gilbert FamilyFoundation.
Welcome to the program.
Andrea Benson (33:42):
Thank you for having me.
Craig Fahle (33:44):
And I have to say this is incredibly important
work Housing, housingaffordability, availability of
housing at all is top of mindall over the country.
This is not just a uniqueDetroit problem.
Talk a little bit about the waythat you are sort of
approaching this work and whereyou think you could actually
have an impact.
So talk a bit about first,about what you're doing and
(34:05):
where you think your niche ishere.
Andrea Benson (34:07):
Sure.
So here at the Gilbert FamilyFoundation, we are rooted in
ensuring that Detroiters stay intheir homes, so we work really
hard to prevent displacement ofexisting homeowners in the
community that are experiencingpressures around housing, as a
(34:29):
lot of residents are that weknow.
In addition, we want to supportor we do support our renters to
also guarantee that they're notdisplaced as Detroit continues
to grow.
We really want to ensure thatDetroiters stay in their homes.
Craig Fahle (34:46):
Well, let's talk about some of the challenges
that exist there.
I mean, for a long time, one ofthe biggest issues in Detroit
when it came to housing was onforeclosure.
Tax foreclosure is one of thosethings that seems to be
preventable.
Yeah, this is not the same asmortgage foreclosure.
This is tax foreclosure andthat was a real big problem in
Detroit.
Yeah, go ahead.
Andrea Benson (35:05):
And one of the things that the Gilbert Family
Foundation did prior to megetting here, but it's still a
legacy that we are continuing tocarry is through the HOPE
Network.
So we support residents inapplying for, essentially, tax
relief.
So it can come at 100%,depending on your income, but it
(35:29):
can be as little, depending onyour income, but it can be as
little, which is a lot to a lotof people, as 15 to 25%, so you
can get that exemption from yourtaxes and that we have seen has
helped ensure that the tradersstay in their homes.
Craig Fahle (35:46):
One of the things that I've witnessed, though over
my many years, is that therearen't a lot of people
connecting people to thoseresources and that knowledge
right.
So is that where you think thatyou can sort of make that
difference?
Andrea Benson (35:57):
Sure, we know we have through our partners.
So we have a strong network ofpartners that have come together
that are really committed toensuring that Detroiters have
the information that they needacross the ecosystem to really
address the housing needsspecific to them.
So we have a network of HOPEpartners that are there to
(36:23):
answer questions and helpresidents fill out applications,
and it stretches to our homerepair program that we also have
too.
Craig Fahle (36:34):
You know, one of the big problems is obviously
just the cost of housing.
The pressures there are notgoing away.
The creation of affordablehousing is happening, but not at
the scale that we need itanywhere.
What can you do in terms ofhelping to preserve
affordability across the housingspectrum here in Detroit?
Andrea Benson (36:50):
So currently the foundation is working with city
officials as well as our partnernonprofits to really understand
what the challenges are when itcomes to pricing and housing.
We recently invested infactory-built housing in North
Corktown to just explore whatthat product could do to bring
(37:13):
down the cost of housing.
So it's something that we arecontinuing to work on again with
city officials, with stateofficials, with developers, to
really figure out where we canreduce those costs, because it
is such a challenge.
Craig Fahle (37:28):
You mentioned, of course, the project in North
Corktown, and I do want to talka little bit about that, because
one of the interesting thingsthat you heard before these
places were built was thisnotion of modular housing means
cheap housing.
Why does Detroit have to getcheap housing?
That seems to be something thatyou guys tried really hard to
sort of change the narrative onthat a little bit, but what have
(37:48):
you seen since those houseshave been built?
Have people's attitudes changedaround that?
Andrea Benson (37:52):
Most definitely so.
One of the goals in investingin factory-built homes was to
help remove the stigma aroundfactory-built to the broader
community as well as cityofficials that have to sign off
on the design plans and thedevelopment of that work.
We've seen since thatinvestment city officials are
(38:16):
really interested in exploringwhat factory-built can look like
in other neighborhoods acrossthe city.
We have been in contact withmultiple nonprofits,
specifically in the communityland trust space, that are also
interested in usingfactory-built housing to develop
in their neighborhoods.
So we definitely think thatwe've contributed to removing
(38:40):
that stigma.
Now it's just figuring out howto get it in Detroit, bring the
product to Detroit hopefully amanufacturer to Detroit as well,
to continue to develop acrossthe city.
Craig Fahle (38:51):
You know I would spend a lot of time going down
the continue to develop acrossthe city.
You know I would spend a lot oftime going down the rabbit hole
of community land trusts, butwe're not going to because
that's going to take a long timeto describe and it's a debate
that we could have like a wholeshow on.
But I do want to talk about therole, though, that the Gilbert
Family Foundation played indoing that.
Does it take a philanthropicorganization to make that
(39:12):
initial investment to showpeople it's possible, because I
mean the construction,especially in single family
homes.
It's really, really strugglingin a city like Detroit.
Andrea Benson (39:20):
I believe it takes not only the foundations
but it takes everyone the city,the land bank and the community
partners to all buy in and toagree to do the work.
We have found that through thatproject right.
It matters that everyone is onthe same page and has the right
(39:42):
resources, prop or the rightmotivation to get the job done
and produce the product.
So, yes, philanthropic supportfills the gap.
We're trying to figure out howto reduce that gap and it really
takes everyone.
Craig Fahle (40:00):
Well, you know, yeah, this isn't the kind of
thing that can go on forever.
I mean, we've been relying onphilanthropic organizations to
solve a lot of problems inDetroit really since the
bankruptcy, if not before that.
What can you do to sort of setup a situation where this
becomes a little bit moreself-sustaining?
Andrea Benson (40:17):
So we always at the foundation look to scale
projects to ensure that they cansupport themselves and become
self-sustaining.
We are constantly working againwith the city and our partners
to really explore what thatlooks like.
How we can produce a productprep land, engage developers to
(40:43):
make development moresustainable.
We're still working towardsthat.
We don't have the answers.
It takes a group.
Craig Fahle (40:52):
Well, one of the things that works against the
notion of housing stability isgentrification, creating more
expensive places to live,pricing people out of their
neighborhoods.
Talk about the balance ofinvesting, like in, say, north
Corktown.
How do you do that in a waythat is not going to move people
out that are already there, andwhat steps do you take to make
sure that you aren't displacingpeople?
(41:14):
Because some have criticizedthe entire Gilbert Rock and
Quicken organization forcontributing to this problem in
Detroit.
Andrea Benson (41:21):
Well, again, our mission is really to ensure that
residents aren't displaced.
So we are very thoughtful inthe way that we make investments
.
We look to communities that areseeing an increase in cost of
living.
We work with partnerorganizations on the ground to
(41:42):
inform what those investmentscan look like and we really have
just a standard best practiceof what we look to our partners
to uphold to ensure thatresidents aren't being displaced
and, again, are being supportedto get into the homes that are
developed.
Craig Fahle (42:00):
Well, my guest right now is Andrea Benson,
director of housing stabilityfor the Gilbert Family
Foundation.
We're talking about a lot ofsome of the hurdles that are out
there for people that aretrying to stay in their homes or
find a place to live or have anaffordable place to live.
You mentioned some numbers andthings like that, and we do like
to have metrics to measuresuccess.
How do you know if what you'redoing is having an impact?
Andrea Benson (42:22):
So we do look to the numbers, but we also again
look to the residents, look toour partners to best inform.
So at the end of every grantcycle we have lessons learned, a
(42:53):
particular program or even withfunding to ensure that
residents are being supportedand, again, not being displaced
from their homes.
Craig Fahle (43:03):
Well, I have one more question for you.
I mean because you know NewYork famously had a candidate
who ran on the platform.
The rent is too damn high.
We talk about affordablehousing in Detroit and there are
a lot of people who don't likethe use of the area median
income to determineaffordability.
They say even at 80, 50 percent.
That's still more than mostDetroiters can afford.
Are we even talking about theright thing when we talk about
(43:25):
affordable and affordabilitywhen it comes to housing?
Andrea Benson (43:27):
That's always been a topic of discussion, like
what does affordable mean?
The one thing that we do standby and we are clear on is that
no resident should really bespending more than 25, 30
percent of their income onhousing.
So, regardless of where someonestands in their income, that is
(43:50):
one, at the end of the dayshould be spending more than 25
(44:11):
to 30 percent on their income,regardless of where they're at
in the pay scale.
Craig Fahle (44:16):
All right.
Well, Andrea, we appreciateyour time today.
Andrea Benson, Director ofHousing Stability for the
Gilbert Family Foundation.
Thank you so much for your time.
Andrea Benson (44:23):
Thank you.
Craig Fahle (44:28):
And that's going to do it for the VVK podcast today
, and thanks again to our manyguests, jj Velez, akua Hill,
Andrea Benson and Linda Nozegbe.
I could have done a half hourwith each of them easily, but
they are doing a lot of goodwork at the Gilbert Family
Foundation.
We appreciate you and don'tforget, send us a note if you
have some suggestions on topicsor people we should be talking
(44:49):
to.
Send me an email, craig at VVK,or find us on LinkedIn,
Facebook, instagram.
You know we're everywhere.
We'd love your feedback.
Have a great day.
We'll see you next time.
Greetings everyone and welcome to the VVK podcast.
I'm your host, craig Folley, onthis program.
We love to discuss interestingthings about and in our
community, and oftentimes thepeople we work with are directly
responsible for thoseinteresting things, and today is
no exception.
The Gilbert Family Foundationwas founded by Dan and Jennifer
Gilbert in 2015.
(00:31):
And then in 2021, along withthe Rocket Community Fund, made
a joint 10-year $500 millioncommitment to build opportunity
in Detroit neighborhoodsneighborhoods.
That commitment hassignificantly helped in a number
of areas, including expandedparks and green space,
investments in the arts,affordable housing programs and
efforts to increase economicmobility for detroit residents.
(00:52):
On today's program, we'll speakto the directors of the various
programs to find out more abouthow these investments will move
our city forward.
Stay tuned for conversationswith JJ Velez, Linda Nozegbe,
akua hill and Andrea Benson.
There's a lot going on intoday's VVK podcast, so please
stay with us.
Stay tuned for conversationswith JJ Velez, linda Nozegbe,
akua Hill and Andrea Benson.
There's a lot going on intoday's VVK podcast, so please
(01:15):
stay with us.
My first guest is JJ Velez,director of Public Spaces.
It's a pleasure to have youhere, sir, and it's nice to see
you again.
Yes.
JJ Velez (01:23):
Hey, good morning Craig.
Thank you for having meAbsolutely and first of all,
director of Public Spaces.
Craig Fahle (01:26):
It's a pleasure to have you here, sir, and it's
nice to see you again.
Yeah, say good morning, Craig.
Thank you for having meAbsolutely, and first of all,
Director of Public Spaces a cooltitle.
Tell me a little bit about yourdepartment and the work that
you're doing right now.
JJ Velez (01:33):
Yeah, so the team that I lead for the Gilbert Family
Foundation focuses primarily ondevelopment and redevelopment of
public spaces within the cityof Detroit.
We also focus on program andplacemaking within those public
spaces, as well as the idea ofcomplete streets.
How are people accessing thepublic spaces, as well as the
(01:55):
programs, in an equitable way?
One portion of the work that weare starting to do right now is
really focusing on thesustainability of the work that
we are doing within the publicspace world, making sure that
not only it's sustainable forclimate, but also for long-term,
for the community and theresidents within the city of
(02:17):
Detroit.
Craig Fahle (02:18):
Well, talk about the importance of public spaces
and the creation of publicspaces in a city like Detroit.
I mean, there are a number ofproblems and issues that the
city of Detroit is dealing with.
Why is this as important assome of the other things that
we're trying to deal with?
JJ Velez (02:32):
Yeah, great question.
I think, you know, we, the cityof Detroit, you know, largest
city coming out of bankruptcyand one of the things that we've
learned is that, through thatwhole process, and even through
the pandemic, public spacesreally has brought individuals
together.
During the pandemic, forexample, where individuals were
(02:56):
stuck inside, the only placethat you could go outside was
these public spaces for allpurposes of health, public
spaces and for all purposes ofhealth.
And so, you know, looking atgreen spaces and public spaces
really allows us to, you know,reimagine what these spaces are
for individuals.
I think for a very long time inthe city of Detroit, residents
(03:22):
have just been given things thatthey may not necessarily want
or have, and when we look atutilizing these spaces and
bringing in community members toredesign these spaces in
particular, allows them to havesome buy-in.
Craig Fahle (03:37):
Well, that buy-in is important and you mentioned
engagement efforts.
To talk a little bit about howyou sort of approach that
process and when you're lookingat engagement and you're trying
to get people involved in this,what are you asking of people?
JJ Velez (03:48):
So for us, you know, we don't do the engagement.
In particular, we work withCity of Detroit's you know
general service department.
They've done an unbelievablejob in the last decade with
community involvement.
And then we look at otherorganizations, other nonprofits
that we're looking at to support, who have the thumb on the
(04:09):
community and the residents andlean on them to do the community
engagement but ultimately, youknow, just trying to hear what
individuals and residents reallywant and see in their
communities, rather than ussaying, hey, this is what we
think you want.
Craig Fahle (04:29):
You know you and I have seen each other at a number
of these.
You know ribbon cuttings forrenovated park spaces and things
along those lines, but you cansee the physical changes to some
of these public spaces, but arethere things that we can't see
in terms of the impact thatthese spaces are having on the
neighborhoods?
JJ Velez (04:41):
Yeah, you know that's also a great question.
You know, a lot of people seethe end product.
They don't see how the sausageis made, in particular, and it's
a lot of steps from start tofinish.
Specifically on public spaces,they take up to a year and a
half, two years from start tofinish, and that includes all
(05:02):
the public engagement, all thecommunity workshops, as well as
putting out RFPs for findingarchitects and organizations or
construction.
Craig Fahle (05:13):
Know, when creating these, we have to keep in mind
that we have to have flexibilitybecause you know they may
change, narratives may change,so Well, you know, anytime you
(05:35):
bring in new investment to aneighborhood, though, I mean,
and especially in a city likeDetroit, which had seen
disinvestment for so longthere's a certain level of
suspicion that comes along withthat.
There are people that worrythat by making a park nicer, by
adding a new apartment buildingor some new condos, that in
effect, you're basicallyencouraging gentrification.
How does that play into yourplanning in terms of that and
(05:56):
preventing that from actuallyhappening?
JJ Velez (05:59):
So you know, I think the way we look at this work is
we can't ignore the noise, right?
You know there has been a verylong time where you know a lot
of these amenities for Detroitresidents didn't exist, and so
you know part of that is itdoesn't change the work that we
do or how we go about doing it.
(06:19):
I think that by creating thesepublic spaces allows values of
homes to go up once they'recompleted and if individuals
have lived there and they decidethat, hey, listen, you know
I've seen my value of myproperty go up, I want to sell,
that's on them.
But ultimately it doesn'tchange the work that we go to do
(06:40):
because for the most part, alot of the residents in that
community really want to see,want these investments, um, and
they will stay.
You know there's just a smallpercentage or small portion of
those residents that decide toeither sell, leave or even new
residents come in.
Craig Fahle (06:57):
I, you know, I sort of want to talk about the
reaction that you get from thepublic when you do some of these
ribbon cuttings and what youhear from people you know.
So you've got.
You mentioned Complete Streets.
You know bike lanes are alwaysa subject we can talk about a
little bit.
They're very sort of polarizing.
But what's the reaction youtypically get when you finish
one of these projects from theneighbors?
JJ Velez (07:18):
Yeah, so let's go back to the Complete Streets.
So Complete Streets for usisn't just bike lanes.
It's also signage right,wayfinding signage, things of
(07:40):
that nature.
That is specifically work thatmy team does is so rewarding.
One of the best parts of whenwe get to a completion of a
project and prior to ribboncutting is going into the
parking, just seeing there andseeing the families, the
generations of playing and theinteractions of individuals To
know that I have helped, we havehelped to, to create and
(08:04):
cultivate this space.
And people have no clue, right,and I just it's not like I tell
them, I just sit there and justhave simple conversations, um,
but for the most part,individuals are so grateful, um,
for the investment in theircommunity and that actually
people have started to listen.
Craig Fahle (08:23):
I should remind folks, my guest right now is JJ
Velez, director of public spacesfor the Gilbert Family
Foundation.
You just mentioned somethinginvestment, right?
Yes, one of the concerns thatresidents have is that, okay,
this is done now, but do we?
You know what happens when thephilanthropic support for these
efforts ends?
Who's going to maintain theseparks?
Is the city going to be able todo the work, or is it going to
(08:48):
be similar to what happenedbefore, where we saw the neglect
and the people not maintainingparks for decades?
JJ Velez (08:54):
Yeah, you know, I definitely hear those sentiments
.
I will say that, workinghand-to-hand with General
Service Department in the city,prior to my role here at the
Goodwill Family Foundation, Iwas director of Parks and
Recreation for the city ofDetroit, so I know the ins and
outs of how local municipalityand the organization works.
(09:17):
But it's really what theRecreation Department and GSD
has done in the last severalyears, with creating a 10-year
strategic master plan on thedevelopment of public spaces in
the city of Detroit, reallyshowcases what it means to
identify the parks and how thecity is still coming to the
table to support and cleaningand making sure that these parks
(09:42):
are kept up to standards right,and so for us it's making sure
that we are lockstep with thecity in doing so.
But yes, you know, it's alwaysat times can be a tricky
situation to navigate.
Craig Fahle (09:59):
Well, talk about that for just a second, because
who's sort of driving thedecision making on where to
invest, which projects to takeon?
Is that you or is that the city?
JJ Velez (10:07):
That's the city.
Honestly, the city is thelargest owner of land here in
Detroit and so, other than that,you know they've created this
10-year master plan that hastaken several years to create
and it just identifies, in aphase approach, where the most
need is and the neglect over thelast several decades and how
(10:30):
they are going to approach,using both general fund dollars
that they have to renovate,philanthropic dollars and
looking at opportunities throughlocal, state and federals to
support the renovations of theseparks.
Craig Fahle (10:44):
Well, jj Velez, we appreciate your time.
Thanks for the work that you'redoing.
The city is benefiting from itand we appreciate your time.
Well, thank you so much forhaving me.
Welcome back to the VVK Podcast.
I'm your host, craig Folley,glad to have you with us on this
wonderful day.
Well, hopefully it's wonderful.
It's a podcast, so who knows?
It could be three weeks fromnow.
(11:07):
I'm not even sure, but thatdoesn't matter.
We are continuing our visitwith the Gilbert Family
Foundation today.
We've been talking about anumber of different ways that
they'd like to utilize theirphilanthropic dollars, and we're
going to talk a little bitabout arts and culture.
Right now.
My guest is Akua Hill, who isthe Director of Arts and Culture
for the Gilbert FamilyFoundation.
Welcome to the podcast.
It's a pleasure to have youhere.
Akua Hill (11:26):
Thanks, craig, appreciate you having me.
Craig Fahle (11:27):
Well, first of all, arts and culture.
It's a very wide subject.
Akua Hill (11:35):
Talk a little bit about your department and the
work specifically that you'redoing there.
I agree, first of all, I thinka lot of people, when we hear
arts and culture, it's kind oflike what does that mean?
Often we're thinking aboutmuseums and arts on the wall,
and it's so much more than that.
And then when you tie inculture, that really expands
into a whole other universe.
That is sometimes not visibleand tangible, but it's so
important and informs the waythat we connect as human beings,
(11:56):
the way that we build communitywith one another.
And so when we talk about artsand culture here at the
foundation, what we're reallytalking about is the fabric that
makes people, that allowspeople to make meaning of life.
There is expression, creativeexpression.
That is often what we thinkabout, whether it's visual arts,
(12:17):
whether it's performance rightgoing to the opera or seeing a
dance performance.
And then when we talk aboutculture Detroit has such a rich
culture we're talking aboutthings that are really kind of
like the vibe.
You know, when people talkabout vibe it's not necessarily
something that you can put yourfinger on, but people know what
it feels like when they come toDetroit and that's why they come
(12:40):
.
Craig Fahle (12:40):
That's interesting that you put it that way,
because putting a value onsomething like that is a
difficult thing to do.
The public doesn't oftenrecognize how these things may
impact them and that makes a lotof discussions around arts and
culture difficult conversationsto have.
Akua Hill (12:53):
Absolutely what can you tell people about the value
of these things, that makes themsort of more accepting of some
of the investments that youmight be making.
It's such a good question andit's a question that we are
often having at both the local,state, national and global level
.
Why is it important for us toincorporate arts and culture
(13:14):
strategies, even when we'rethinking about planning for
spaces, right?
The reason why is because, ifyou think about a city that had
no creative energy runningthrough its veins, it would be
pretty boring.
People wouldn't want to livethere, people wouldn't be doing
things after work, you know, andsometimes we don't understand
(13:35):
how much of a value it has untilsomething like that is not
existent.
But how often, you know, whenyou're going for your walk or
you're in the gym, you'reputting on music, right, that is
giving you a fuel when you'rehaving experiences with your
family and loved ones.
Often it includes some form ofartistic expression and even
just the design of the spacesthat we're in.
(13:55):
People are not thinking aboutthe fact that someone designed
that with creative intention.
Right, no-transcript, connectwith identity and heritage and
(14:24):
feel like their story is toldand represented in the space
that they, you know, that theylive in and those reflections of
creative expression and cultureare really important and when
we talk about valuing them, it'sreally important that when
we're thinking strategicallyabout what it means to build a
city a thriving city that ismade up of thriving communities
(14:45):
that arts and culture is a partof that conversation.
Craig Fahle (14:49):
One of the other things that seems to work its
way into this conversation,though, is the idea of
authenticity.
When you're talking aboutidentifying the culture of a
community, maybe investing in amural project or funding some
musicians or any other sort ofways that you're doing this, how
do you sort of gauge whether ornot that's genuine Detroit and
something that's going to beappreciated and valued here?
Akua Hill (15:11):
Well, one thing I'm sure you know is, detroiters can
sniff out a fake very quickly,right?
So authenticity is superimportant.
And I love that questionbecause, to me, what it makes me
think of immediately is ourfocus on neighborhood-based arts
and culture activations.
What that means is we can't doa cut and paste, right?
(15:31):
Every neighborhood has its ownpersonality, its own energy
about it, residents that havetheir own stories and histories,
and those stories are importantto be told.
So when we talk aboutsupporting arts and culture
right, it's not this blanketedstatement.
We are particularly here at GFFwe're focused on supporting
neighborhood-based artists andarts organizations that are
(15:53):
telling those unique stories atthat ground level.
And the reason why that isimportant is because we all know
what it feels like whensomebody is telling your story
for you and it's not authenticor it doesn't hit correctly, and
so, for that reason, it'sreally important that we support
and lift up and amplify artistsand arts organizations that are
(16:14):
telling that special and uniquestory of their neighborhoods.
Craig Fahle (16:17):
Do you feel, though , sometimes that you're sort of
swimming upstream, because itseems that what you're talking
about, in creating authenticityand making sure that every
neighborhood has its own sort ofidentity, is the exact opposite
of what we're seeing across thecountry, where you go to every
town and they've got the samerestaurant, the same place, the
same sort of vibe oh, when arewe going to get a Cheesecake
Factory?
You know, that kind of stuffseems to dominate a lot of that
conversation, making it moredifficult, and the economic
(16:40):
might is oftentimes behind thoselarger sorts of movements out
there that people seem to like.
Akua Hill (16:47):
Yeah, I think in a world where we're seeing a lot
more mergers and kind of justthis, things being put together,
to create Homogeneity.
Yes, I think it actually driveshome the very reason why we need
more of those smaller, uniquevoices.
Folks, look at some of thebigger.
(17:09):
Something gets right.
Let's say you have one companymerges with another, merges with
another, merges with anotherand no judgment.
Right, that's your businesstrajectory, great.
But we also know that there'ssomething that feels different
when you are looking at thevisuals right, the ways that
certain things that you'reinteracting with are represented
and you see yourself in it.
(17:30):
There's a deeper connectionthere.
There is a pride that you kindof like.
That gets activated in you whenyou're participating and
engaging with something that'sbeen designed with you in mind.
Craig Fahle (17:43):
Well, let's, you know, let's sort of focus this a
little bit more here, and youlook at a city like Austin,
Texas, which had that motto keepAustin weird for a long, long
time, and I just wonder howwe're doing at keeping Detroit,
detroit.
Akua Hill (17:55):
You know that's a great question.
I think it depends on who youask.
I think we're doing a great job.
I think because I have theprivilege of being very
connected and rooted within ourarts and culture ecosystem.
I'm often just in awe by howmany creatives and how our
creative labor just shapes thefabric of this city over and
(18:18):
over again.
You know we have lots ofartists in the city that are
struggling to, you know, make alivelihood, but it's so
important to them that they arecontinuing to tell these stories
, continuing to challenge us, tosee the world in new ways,
right, which is what creativityreally allows for.
And I can't imagine a Detroitwhere that autonomy and that
(18:42):
power is ever taken away fromthe folks that call this place
home.
Craig Fahle (18:47):
Well, you know, there are always going to be
artists out there who are notmaybe getting grants to do
certain things.
They don't feel like they'reseen or necessarily heard or
supported.
How do you sort of navigatethat space, Because that is a
constant criticism?
I mean, you know there's goingto be a number of people out
there who feel that their workshould be appreciated more.
Akua Hill (19:07):
Yeah, you know, here at the foundation we're
constantly asking ourselves whatis the role of philanthropy,
right, in a ecosystem like that,like what you just described,
and it is our job to figure outwhen we look at those inequities
right, and so we know thatthere are some of the kind of
larger anchor institutions thathave been around for a long time
(19:28):
and are maybe resourced, youknow, at a rate that allows them
to continue right, and then wehave the artists, like you said,
that maybe don't feel as seen,don't feel as resourced.
It's our job to say, when welook at the entire ecosystem,
where are those gaps in support?
How are we centering right in amajority Black city?
(19:48):
How are we making sure thatsmall arts organizations that
are led by Black people, thatartists that represent the city,
that call this place home andmaybe even generations before
have called this place home?
How are we making sure thatthey are also getting the
support Because they are just asimportant a part of the
ecosystem as our larger anchorinstitutions?
Craig Fahle (20:11):
I should remind folks, my guest right now is
Akua Hill, Director of Arts andCulture for the Gilbert Family
Foundation.
You know we talked about theimportance of art and culture at
the beginning of thisconversation.
I want to sort of get back tothat, because it often seems
that as we're having discussionsabout budgets, politics,
whatever, one of the firstthings that gets put on the
chopping block is the arts.
And because people don'tnecessarily always see that
(20:34):
value or they think it's maybesupporting some liberal person
who knows what it is.
But what would you like to sayto government officials who are
looking at budgets and lookingfor places to cut budgets, about
where they should go?
Akua Hill (20:47):
Yeah, and we're literally seeing that right now.
I think even growing up, Iremember hearing folks talk
about the arts being cut fromeducation.
Right, that was always thefirst budget line to get us out
of here, right, and more.
You know, we've had more andmore research over the years
that showed just how importantarts education is for the
development of young people.
(21:07):
So that's just one piece, right.
However, I think that when wethink about arts and culture not
just as a luxury, not just as anice to have, which it is right
, we enjoy going to a show, weenjoy being able to put on some
good music in our ear pods, butit can be so much more than that
.
So it's about how we're usingit to drive things like
(21:30):
community development, which,here at the foundation, that is
our angle.
That is how we are constantlylooking at arts and culture as a
driver of equitable communitydevelopment, as a driver of
economic growth for our city,and as a driver of economic
growth for our city and as adriver of, basically, how we
continue to shape and define theidentity of our city, even as
(21:54):
it evolves.
That's why the artist's voiceis so critical, because they
have the ability to look atwhat's happening around us and
represent it through creativeexpression.
Craig Fahle (22:04):
Well, I have one last question for you, because I
think this is an important partof this whole process.
Is that?
You know, we are a metricsdriven society, right?
People want to be able tomeasure results and impact, and
with something like art andculture, it's a much more
difficult thing to do.
But how do you go aboutmeasuring your success?
Akua Hill (22:23):
Yeah, I have two answers to that question.
So often, right, when we'retalking about metrics, we're
looking at numbers, and there'sbeen a lot of really interesting
research lately and researchthat we are starting to lean
into as well, around how artsand culture is directly related
to economic growth.
How do creative economies play arole in cities?
Right, that's something thatwe're really interested in
(22:45):
exploring more and kind of getsto your question around metrics,
and I think that, especially inthe arts and culture world,
right, there's an opportunity tosay that quantitative data is
not the only measurement ofimpact.
Right, a lot of times, whenwe're talking to a grandma who
took her child to see the balletfor the first time, right, it's
(23:06):
not that there was a numberthat you could put on the value
of that experience, right, butthe young and this is a true
story One of the families that'spart of our Culture Pass
program that was launched lastyear she told her grandma she
was like I will never forgetthis day, like this was so great
, you know.
And so everything doesn't needto be measured by a hard number.
(23:27):
It is also about humanconnection, human experience,
memories that we're creating,and, honestly, arts and culture
really ties together thoseexperiences for lots of folks.
Craig Fahle (23:37):
Well, we certainly appreciate talking to you.
Akua Hill, Director of Arts andCulture for the Gilbert Family
Foundation.
Thank you so much for your timeFascinating conversation.
Akua Hill (23:44):
Thank you, craig, appreciate it.
Craig Fahle (23:46):
Welcome back to the VVK podcast.
I'm Craig Folley.
Thanks very much for being withus today as we continue our
discussion with the GilbertFamily Foundation.
Of course I mentioned at thebeginning of this program, they
are involved in all sorts ofdifferent problem-solving areas
here in our community, and todaywe're going to talk about the
issue of economic mobility.
My guest right now is Linda
Linda Nosegbe (24:07):
Nozegbe
Craig Fahle (24:07):
, director of Economic Mobility for the
Gilbert Family Foundation.
Linda, welcome to the program,it's a pleasure.
Linda Nosegbe (24:12):
Thanks for having me.
Craig Fahle (24:13):
Absolutely.
And let's start out withsomething simple, because this
is a term that gets bandiedabout a lot economic mobility.
It's kind of a buzzword, butwhat do we mean when we're
talking about economic mobility?
Linda Nosegbe (24:24):
So when we're talking about economic mobility
in the city of Detroit, what itreally means is the Gilbert
Family Foundation wants toprovide access to capital for
small business owners, as wellas the whole wraparound services
for families.
So, whether it's workforcedevelopment, access to education
or technology, that is reallywhat the embodiment of the work
is all about.
Craig Fahle (24:45):
And I mean traditionally.
There are, I'm assuming, a lotof barriers to this.
Which ones are you trying totackle?
Linda Nosegbe (24:55):
So, while we're not trying to boil the whole
ocean, what we're really tryingto address is access to capital
for small business owners.
How do they gain access?
What are the partners we needto identify in the ecosystem to
help those small business owners?
When you talk about educationand emerging industries, we've
identified the top fiveindustries that are coming into
Detroit, and so we're justtrying to address those ones.
Craig Fahle (25:18):
When you're talking about technology, healthcare,
it services, professionalservices, as well as advanced
manufacturing and skilled trade,you know you were mentioning
small businesses as well, so whydon't we talk a bit about that
here?
I mean, because it's one thingto just give somebody some money
to help them start their smallbusiness, but that probably
doesn't necessarily solve theproblem.
Linda Nosegbe (25:37):
No, it does not solve the problem.
I've had an opportunity ofspeaking to a lot of small
business owners in the ecosystemand we have different layers
right.
So you have those who arestarting up, who really do need
the money for that.
Then you have those who arelooking to scale, who actually
need to be able to have accessto capital, but not just as free
(25:57):
money but actually like a lineof credit to drive.
Then we have technicalassistance providers in the
ecosystem that helps them drivethat that.
So Weta is teaching them aboutunderstanding their balance
sheets, making sure that theyare ready to market their
business utilizing social media.
So we have partners whoactually offer those services as
(26:19):
well not just the access tocapital, but everything that
comes with being a businessowner.
And so, as they scale up, wework with different partners to
help identify it as fundingplaces for them to open up their
shop and to work that way.
Craig Fahle (26:54):
What needs to be done to make that a more
seamless process?
Linda Nosegbe (26:57):
So for us at the Gilbert Family Foundation, what
we have done is identifiedpartners in the ecosystem that
are aware of opportunities thatare coming into the city of
Detroit.
Then what we do is we partnerwith other entities who can help
train individuals to beprepared for those jobs.
So, yes, while you are right,while we cannot guarantee that
(27:17):
that translation of traininggets into jobs, but at least
you're aware of what is comingin, we have the right partners
in place.
So I feel like we have theright partners in place to help
educate individuals to be readyfor this type of job
opportunities that are coming in.
So, whether it's skilled trade,manufacturing, it, healthcare,
we're making those investmentsand ensuring that Detroiters
(27:38):
have the know-how and theknowledge to be ready for those
opportunities.
Craig Fahle (27:42):
You know there has been a lot of discussion in
recent weeks because of politicsand everything else that's
going on about, you know,reshoring certain jobs to the
United States and bringing backmanufacturing.
You know, is thating certainjobs to the United States and
bringing back manufacturing, youknow, is that realistic?
I mean because you mentionedthe five sectors that you are
sort of focused on right now asthe ones that are actually
locating in Detroit.
Should you continue preparingfor that, or is it important to
(28:05):
prepare for something that mayor may not happen in the future?
Linda Nosegbe (28:08):
So, while there are things that are happening in
the political realm, our focusreally truly is how do we enable
and embody Detroiters to beready for what is currently here
?
We've identified what isreadily available.
We're making sure that we'reinvesting in those areas of
expertise and what is needed.
Manufacturing is not what itused to be, however.
(28:29):
It has advanced, and so we wantto make sure that we have that
kind of training in place soindividuals are ready for what
is now and not in the past.
Craig Fahle (28:38):
What is the ecosystem like in terms of
finding partners for this kindof work?
Are there enough people outthere that are equipped to
handle this thing that you, youknow, or are we not in a good
place?
Linda Nosegbe (28:49):
Oh no, we actually Detroit when they say
Detroit is resilient.
We have the right people, wehave the right training, we have
the right partners.
We have I think we haveeverything that we need to make
it work, and it's just makingsure that the individuals or the
residents are aware of what isactually available to them.
And that's what we try to dohere is making sure that the
(29:11):
partners that we work with aregrassroots partners who have
access to people that can tellthem about these opportunities
that are available to them.
Craig Fahle (29:19):
You know, one of the sort of criticisms of a lot
of job training initiatives andeducational initiatives for
people in cities like Detroit isthat there's too much of a
focus on emerging technology,high tech jobs, things like that
, and that we're sort offoregoing more traditional
blue-collar employmentopportunities, you know, skilled
trades.
And what is the balance there?
(29:41):
Is there a good balance or dowe need to be thinking future,
as opposed to what, you know,Michigan and Detroit may have
been in the past?
Linda Nosegbe (29:48):
So for what I've seen in the landscape, we are
very.
Detroit has changed vastly fromwhat it was the last 10, 15
years.
We are no longer the we'restill the motor city.
However, we are advancing intechnology.
So we have an investment calledVenture 313 that focuses on
tech.
This is for tech startups whoare looking to scale as well.
(30:09):
So you have that landscape thatis growing, that is actually
turned into something else,where people are actually
looking at Detroit as the nextSilicon Valley.
So there are a lot of thingswithin the ecosystem that are
happening.
So it's not just manufacturinganymore.
You have health care that isexploring it is actually the
number one employer in the cityof Detroit followed by IT.
(30:30):
Then you have technology withother startups and things of
that nature, and then let's notforget the small business owners
as well.
That is exploring in its ownentity as well, and we have
partners in the right place thatare providing those
opportunities for people toscale up in those sectors.
Craig Fahle (30:46):
Well, I mean, these are efforts that require
enormous investments, right, anda lot of follow through to make
sure that people areprogressing on the path that you
want them to and you're gettingthem to where they need to be.
Talk a little bit about howyou're measuring the impact.
How do you know if this issuccessful and what does it look
like in terms of you know whenyou might not be needed for this
(31:09):
sort of stuff any longer?
Linda Nosegbe (31:11):
So I think, as long as mankind is on this earth
, we're always going to beneeded Sure.
Craig Fahle (31:15):
Because we're still producing.
Linda Nosegbe (31:20):
There are kids that are coming up.
So that is the reason why ourpillars is really truly
addressing that whole wraparoundservice for economic mobility.
So when we talk about education, you do have to address that,
so that individuals know what isawaiting them when they go into
the workforce space.
If you decide that you want tobe an entrepreneur, what is
available for you in that space?
If you decide you want to bethe next Steve Jobs or Elon Musk
(31:41):
, what do we have?
We have all of those resourceshere, and so, for us, success
will be when we're able to makesure that more than 80% of
Detroiters are in that middleclass level where our poverty
level has actually reduced andwe actually have more people
that are coming back into thecity of Detroit wanting to live
(32:01):
here because of theopportunities that we have here
for them.
That is how I measure success.
Craig Fahle (32:06):
Well, you know you talk about the middle class.
Well, you know you talk aboutthe middle class.
It's an interesting discussionto have, because I think one of
the sort of measuring sticks forwhether or not somebody is
middle class is whether or notyou're able to pass something on
to the next generation.
Linda Nosegbe (32:25):
It may not be anything big, but generational
wealth is a key component thathas been missing for a lot of
Detroiters for a long time.
Is that a measuring stick foryou?
And I think we address thatthrough financial literacy.
Right, because I could bemaking $60,000 a year and be
more wealthier than someonewho's making $200,000 a year
just because I understand how toplan and how to manage my money
If we have those resources thatare addressing it and we don't
want to wait until someone is 18or 21 to teach them that.
That is just one way to startwith education.
(32:47):
You start it in schools andthat just translates out to
generational wealth.
So that's what I mean by wehave a long work ahead of us,
but as long as we do it in theright path and the pillars that
we have, I do see some changes,maybe like one or two
generations down, where we'reactually able to say yes, we
were part of that success.
Craig Fahle (33:06):
All right.
Well, Linda, we appreciate yourtime.
Thank you very much.
Linda Nosegbe (33:09):
Thank you for having me have a great one.
Craig Fahle (33:15):
Linda Nozegbe, director of Economic Mobility
for the Gilbert FamilyFoundation, joining us here on
the VVK Podcast.
Welcome back, everybody, to theVVK Podcast.
Pleasure to have you with us.
I hope you're enjoying theprogram.
So far Today we have spent alot of time talking with experts
from the Gilbert FamilyFoundation about the various
things that they are working onand, if you remember, in the
intro, one of the things Italked about was housing and the
importance of housing stabilityin a city like Detroit.
(33:36):
My guest today, Andrea Benson,director of Housing Stability
for the Gilbert FamilyFoundation.
Welcome to the program.
Andrea Benson (33:42):
Thank you for having me.
Craig Fahle (33:44):
And I have to say this is incredibly important
work Housing, housingaffordability, availability of
housing at all is top of mindall over the country.
This is not just a uniqueDetroit problem.
Talk a little bit about the waythat you are sort of
approaching this work and whereyou think you could actually
have an impact.
So talk a bit about first,about what you're doing and
(34:05):
where you think your niche ishere.
Andrea Benson (34:07):
Sure.
So here at the Gilbert FamilyFoundation, we are rooted in
ensuring that Detroiters stay intheir homes, so we work really
hard to prevent displacement ofexisting homeowners in the
community that are experiencingpressures around housing, as a
(34:29):
lot of residents are that weknow.
In addition, we want to supportor we do support our renters to
also guarantee that they're notdisplaced as Detroit continues
to grow.
We really want to ensure thatDetroiters stay in their homes.
Craig Fahle (34:46):
Well, let's talk about some of the challenges
that exist there.
I mean, for a long time, one ofthe biggest issues in Detroit
when it came to housing was onforeclosure.
Tax foreclosure is one of thosethings that seems to be
preventable.
Yeah, this is not the same asmortgage foreclosure.
This is tax foreclosure andthat was a real big problem in
Detroit.
Yeah, go ahead.
Andrea Benson (35:05):
And one of the things that the Gilbert Family
Foundation did prior to megetting here, but it's still a
legacy that we are continuing tocarry is through the HOPE
Network.
So we support residents inapplying for, essentially, tax
relief.
So it can come at 100%,depending on your income, but it
(35:29):
can be as little, depending onyour income, but it can be as
little, which is a lot to a lotof people, as 15 to 25%, so you
can get that exemption from yourtaxes and that we have seen has
helped ensure that the tradersstay in their homes.
Craig Fahle (35:46):
One of the things that I've witnessed, though over
my many years, is that therearen't a lot of people
connecting people to thoseresources and that knowledge
right.
So is that where you think thatyou can sort of make that
difference?
Andrea Benson (35:57):
Sure, we know we have through our partners.
So we have a strong network ofpartners that have come together
that are really committed toensuring that Detroiters have
the information that they needacross the ecosystem to really
address the housing needsspecific to them.
So we have a network of HOPEpartners that are there to
(36:23):
answer questions and helpresidents fill out applications,
and it stretches to our homerepair program that we also have
too.
Craig Fahle (36:34):
You know, one of the big problems is obviously
just the cost of housing.
The pressures there are notgoing away.
The creation of affordablehousing is happening, but not at
the scale that we need itanywhere.
What can you do in terms ofhelping to preserve
affordability across the housingspectrum here in Detroit?
Andrea Benson (36:50):
So currently the foundation is working with city
officials as well as our partnernonprofits to really understand
what the challenges are when itcomes to pricing and housing.
We recently invested infactory-built housing in North
Corktown to just explore whatthat product could do to bring
(37:13):
down the cost of housing.
So it's something that we arecontinuing to work on again with
city officials, with stateofficials, with developers, to
really figure out where we canreduce those costs, because it
is such a challenge.
Craig Fahle (37:28):
You mentioned, of course, the project in North
Corktown, and I do want to talka little bit about that, because
one of the interesting thingsthat you heard before these
places were built was thisnotion of modular housing means
cheap housing.
Why does Detroit have to getcheap housing?
That seems to be something thatyou guys tried really hard to
sort of change the narrative onthat a little bit, but what have
(37:48):
you seen since those houseshave been built?
Have people's attitudes changedaround that?
Andrea Benson (37:52):
Most definitely so.
One of the goals in investingin factory-built homes was to
help remove the stigma aroundfactory-built to the broader
community as well as cityofficials that have to sign off
on the design plans and thedevelopment of that work.
We've seen since thatinvestment city officials are
(38:16):
really interested in exploringwhat factory-built can look like
in other neighborhoods acrossthe city.
We have been in contact withmultiple nonprofits,
specifically in the communityland trust space, that are also
interested in usingfactory-built housing to develop
in their neighborhoods.
So we definitely think thatwe've contributed to removing
(38:40):
that stigma.
Now it's just figuring out howto get it in Detroit, bring the
product to Detroit hopefully amanufacturer to Detroit as well,
to continue to develop acrossthe city.
Craig Fahle (38:51):
You know I would spend a lot of time going down
the continue to develop acrossthe city.
You know I would spend a lot oftime going down the rabbit hole
of community land trusts, butwe're not going to because
that's going to take a long timeto describe and it's a debate
that we could have like a wholeshow on.
But I do want to talk about therole, though, that the Gilbert
Family Foundation played indoing that.
Does it take a philanthropicorganization to make that
(39:12):
initial investment to showpeople it's possible, because I
mean the construction,especially in single family
homes.
It's really, really strugglingin a city like Detroit.
Andrea Benson (39:20):
I believe it takes not only the foundations
but it takes everyone the city,the land bank and the community
partners to all buy in and toagree to do the work.
We have found that through thatproject right.
It matters that everyone is onthe same page and has the right
(39:42):
resources, prop or the rightmotivation to get the job done
and produce the product.
So, yes, philanthropic supportfills the gap.
We're trying to figure out howto reduce that gap and it really
takes everyone.
Craig Fahle (40:00):
Well, you know, yeah, this isn't the kind of
thing that can go on forever.
I mean, we've been relying onphilanthropic organizations to
solve a lot of problems inDetroit really since the
bankruptcy, if not before that.
What can you do to sort of setup a situation where this
becomes a little bit moreself-sustaining?
Andrea Benson (40:17):
So we always at the foundation look to scale
projects to ensure that they cansupport themselves and become
self-sustaining.
We are constantly working againwith the city and our partners
to really explore what thatlooks like.
How we can produce a productprep land, engage developers to
(40:43):
make development moresustainable.
We're still working towardsthat.
We don't have the answers.
It takes a group.
Craig Fahle (40:52):
Well, one of the things that works against the
notion of housing stability isgentrification, creating more
expensive places to live,pricing people out of their
neighborhoods.
Talk about the balance ofinvesting, like in, say, north
Corktown.
How do you do that in a waythat is not going to move people
out that are already there, andwhat steps do you take to make
sure that you aren't displacingpeople?
(41:14):
Because some have criticizedthe entire Gilbert Rock and
Quicken organization forcontributing to this problem in
Detroit.
Andrea Benson (41:21):
Well, again, our mission is really to ensure that
residents aren't displaced.
So we are very thoughtful inthe way that we make investments
.
We look to communities that areseeing an increase in cost of
living.
We work with partnerorganizations on the ground to
(41:42):
inform what those investmentscan look like and we really have
just a standard best practiceof what we look to our partners
to uphold to ensure thatresidents aren't being displaced
and, again, are being supportedto get into the homes that are
developed.
Craig Fahle (42:00):
Well, my guest right now is Andrea Benson,
director of housing stabilityfor the Gilbert Family
Foundation.
We're talking about a lot ofsome of the hurdles that are out
there for people that aretrying to stay in their homes or
find a place to live or have anaffordable place to live.
You mentioned some numbers andthings like that, and we do like
to have metrics to measuresuccess.
How do you know if what you'redoing is having an impact?
Andrea Benson (42:22):
So we do look to the numbers, but we also again
look to the residents, look toour partners to best inform.
So at the end of every grantcycle we have lessons learned, a
(42:53):
particular program or even withfunding to ensure that
residents are being supportedand, again, not being displaced
from their homes.
Craig Fahle (43:03):
Well, I have one more question for you.
I mean because you know NewYork famously had a candidate
who ran on the platform.
The rent is too damn high.
We talk about affordablehousing in Detroit and there are
a lot of people who don't likethe use of the area median
income to determineaffordability.
They say even at 80, 50 percent.
That's still more than mostDetroiters can afford.
Are we even talking about theright thing when we talk about
(43:25):
affordable and affordabilitywhen it comes to housing?
Andrea Benson (43:27):
That's always been a topic of discussion, like
what does affordable mean?
The one thing that we do standby and we are clear on is that
no resident should really bespending more than 25, 30
percent of their income onhousing.
So, regardless of where someonestands in their income, that is
(43:50):
one, at the end of the dayshould be spending more than 25
(44:11):
to 30 percent on their income,regardless of where they're at
in the pay scale.
Craig Fahle (44:16):
All right.
Well, Andrea, we appreciateyour time today.
Andrea Benson, Director ofHousing Stability for the
Gilbert Family Foundation.
Thank you so much for your time.
Andrea Benson (44:23):
Thank you.
Craig Fahle (44:28):
And that's going to do it for the VVK podcast today
, and thanks again to our manyguests, jj Velez, akua Hill,
Andrea Benson and Linda Nozegbe.
I could have done a half hourwith each of them easily, but
they are doing a lot of goodwork at the Gilbert Family
Foundation.
We appreciate you and don'tforget, send us a note if you
have some suggestions on topicsor people we should be talking
(44:49):
to.
Send me an email, craig at VVK,or find us on LinkedIn,
Facebook, instagram.
You know we're everywhere.
We'd love your feedback.
Have a great day.
We'll see you next time.
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