Now Detroit is getting into the act of unloading a few of its unwanted houses. Instead of a “dollar house”, the Rust Belt city has done something a bit more creative. A literary organization in the city has awarded a house to the winner of a poetry contest. Now Poet Casey Rocheteau has packed her bags and is heading to her now home in Detroit (from Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn) according to Observer.com.
Winner of “Write A House”, Rocheteau will not only infuse new blood into struggling Detroit, she will also bring her literacy acumen to the city. In fact, the winning criteria provides that the young poet be engaged in the literary scene while living there.
The “Write A House” organization picked up the house via government auction for $1000. Now the house has been passed along to the young poet, who stated that she is happy to receive the award, and is also looking forward to living in a place that has a low cost of living.
This just goes to show that there are various creative ways to look at vacant housing dilemmas. Give the houses to artists. Give the houses to students who are struggling to pay off their college tuitions. Create criteria that benefits the city and the homeowners. Give people opportunities and they will add to the growth of your city. When you have vacant houses in neighborhoods that are down and out, get creative and think of ways to attract those who will pay it forward down the line. Good thinking Detroit.