What residents think about their neighborhoods after investments

A new study shows that residents' satisfaction with local amenities recovered more quickly since the pandemic when they lived in areas the city targeted for revitalization through the Strategic Neighborhood Fund.

Why it matters: The survey data from U of M researchers offers a glimpse into the efficacy of the fund — an influential and prominent force that pumps philanthropic, corporate and public dollars into specific areas outside downtown to improve them.

• $260 million in investments so far has included streetscape improvements, affordable housing, parks and commercial development.

State of play: The 2019-2023 surveys analyze Detroiters' perceptions of their neighborhoods over time, comparing areas with Strategic Neighborhood Fund (SNF) involvement to those without, to assess the fund's effects.

• The findings indicate that overall neighborhood satisfaction declined from 2019 to 2021, likely influenced by the start of the pandemic in 2020, but many attitudes improved post-2021.
• SNF residents' satisfaction with amenities (including housing, parks, lot maintenance and sidewalks) recovered sooner and more quickly than those whose neighborhoods didn't see fund investments.

Context: The survey results revealed a nuanced picture of residents' sentiments that isn't easy to thread into a simple narrative. All 10 areas are vastly different, with different timelines for SNF project development, making comparisons difficult, Lydia Wileden, report author and U of M research associate, tells Axios.

• Plus, "we're still trying to understand what the [pandemic's] impact on neighborhoods was, but it really dramatically shifted how we experience the places where we live," Wileden says.

Flashback: The SNF started with three multi-neighborhood areas in 2016: the Villages, Livernois-6 Mile and Southwest.

• In 2018, it expanded to seven more , including Gratiot-7 Mile , Jefferson Chalmers and Warrendale-Cody Rouge.
• Factors that led the city to choose these areas included stable housing, promising commercial districts and salvageable buildings.

The report 's other findings include:

• The residents' perception of their neighborhoods in SNF areas that are remarkably stable with less historic disinvestment were overall more favorable than those of both non-SNF residents and residents in SNF areas that are particularly disadvantaged.
• Overall, 69% of Detroiters said they were satisfied with their neighborhoods in 2019, compared with 62% last year. (The pandemic, inflation, social justice movements and concerns about crime and policing likely contributed.)
• Detroiters' satisfaction with housing affordability plummeted from around 32% in 2019 to about 20% in 2023. Store availability and public transit also fell, while parks and playground satisfaction jumped from 45% in 2021 to nearly 50% in 2023.

The surveys asked residents about their quality of life, neighborhood reputation, satisfaction with specific amenities, and thoughts on crime, housing, businesses and more.

• They took 9,000 observations from more than 4,000 residents through the Detroit Metro Area Communities Study .

What they're saying: The biggest takeaway from the report is that being "intentional" about collaborating with residents is the right way to do large-scale neighborhood development, says Jermaine Ruffin, senior vice president of neighborhoods for SNF manager Invest Detroit .

• But also: "We recognize there is more work to be done. While there's progress … the report shows fluctuation with satisfaction," Ruffin tells Axios.