Detroit Future City (DFC) announced its 2030 plan today, doubling down on its agenda to grow Detroit’s middle class, centralizing its research, programs, advocacy, and engagement to help increase the middle-class population that once defined the city and is vital to its future sustainability.
DFC’s ambitious eight-year plan stems from its research citing that 90% of Detroit’s population are people of color, and 75% of the population makes less than $50,000 per year, and as such, has identified goals and benchmarks focused predominantly on the city’s African American middle class and other communities of color. DFC plans to measure the growth of Detroit’s middle class by utilizing several of the indicators for economic equity that were developed by the organization’s Center for Equity, Engagement and Research (the Center). In 2021, the Center launched an interactive dashboard with 22 economic equity indicators across six focus, where progress can be tracked over time. DFC will also develop new indicators as we expand our work around climate resiliency.
The following goals have been identified to measure DFC’s 2030 plan.
- Income and wealth building - Increased percentage of Black Detroiters and other Detroiters of color who hold middle-wage (or better) jobs and build wealth through homeownership.
- Business and Entrepreneurship - Increased number and size of businesses owned by Black Detroiters and other Detroiters of color.
- Neighborhoods and Housing - Increased number of asset rich, economically accessible, and diverse neighborhoods; Increased number of Black Middle-Class neighborhoods (census tracts that are more than 50% Black and more than 50% middle class); and increased number and scale of land use projects that contribute to health, well-being, and climate resilience at the neighborhood and city-wide scale.
In DFC’s eight-year plan the organization will continue leading in areas of research, program, coalition initiatives and engagement. DFC will enhance its work through a stronger focus on policy and advocacy, in an effort to influence national, state, and local policies to foster equitable and sustainable economic growth and climate resiliency in Detroit.
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