What Happened:
When the auto industry started moving out of Detroit, mainly overseas because it was cheaper to manufacture there, a lot of other industries failed as a result. Since businesses and factories were closing, lots of jobs were lost. Everything in a city relays on each component to stay thriving. There was the big auto industry crash in 2008 that really hit the city. With people out of work and with no source of income, the housing market in Detroit plummeted. Even though the crash happened in 2008, “Since 2005, more than 1-in-3 Detroit properties — 139,699 of 384,672 — have been foreclosed because of mortgage defaults or unpaid taxes, property records show.” People simply are not able to afford their houses anymore. In some cases, their mortgages are more than what their house is actually worth in present day verse when they bought it. Some neighborhoods get wiped out almost completely, with only a few left living on the block. With no one there living in the houses that means no one is there to take care of the land. Weeds become overgrown and overtake the yards. Houses will start to decay and look a mess. These empty lots become a dumping grounds for unwanted items. In the early to mid-twentieth century, most of these neighborhoods were well kempt, the pride and joy for some people. Today they are unrecognizable. Arson has become a big issue for these empty houses. People become bored and decide that setting fire to unoccupied houses is a fun thing to do. So not only are the houses rotting away on their own, but people are burning them as a fun pastime activity. Most have-been neighborhoods have a combination of natural and man-made decay.
Comparison:
Only a four year different between the before and after pictures, yet there are very drastic differences.
Foreclosure Map: |