Despite the efforts of local government and nonprofits in the home repair ecosystem, Poverty Solutions’ research found there are simply not enough resources available to meet demand in Detroit.

As director of U-M’s Ginsberg Center, Mary Jo Callan helps make connections on a daily basis, pairing community partners addressing social concerns, such as nonprofit organizations, schools, and local governments, across Southeast Michigan and Metro Detroit with students and faculty at U-M to support their work.

The variety and volume of the University of Michigan’s efforts touch Detroit’s neighborhoods, its community organizations and its residents. While the specific goals and partners of each effort vary, all of the work aims to help boost the vitality of Detroit and the region.

The Community Campus Visit is a day-long program during which participants learned about the many and varied services and programs the university has available that work to enhance business and community development.

The project, led by Detroit-based artist and U-M alumnus Doug Jones, will culminate in an exhibition titled “Connect the Dots: Collective Interpretations of the U-M Library Collections.” It opens Monday at the Hatcher Graduate Library, 913 South University Ave.

Joshua Akers first arrived in Michigan in 2010 to work on his dissertation about the housing crisis. He stayed to help shed light on how speculators were affecting Detroit neighborhoods with bulk buying. With the help of students at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, where Akers is an assistant professor of geography and urban & regional studies he created Property Praxis, a collective exercise illustrating the impact of speculation on cities.

“Locally we had the perfect storm of people—not only had we all worked together in some capacity before, but we all had such different skills. My studio, Akoaki, specializes in architecture, cultural programming and urban design. Rootoftwo are known for their innovative work work with technology, public art and public policy. Harley Etienne is a leader in planning. Agence Ter, our partners from France, are recognized for their international landscape and urban design projects.”

Keeping with the University of Michigan’s commitment to integrate and strengthen engagement efforts in the city of Detroit, the university recently established the Detroit Advisory Group and named a new special adviser on Detroit engagement.

Feodis Shipp III was named director of the University of Michigan Detroit Center in 2018 after serving as associate director since 2010. He hopes to develop a strong working relationship with the community. Born and raised in Detroit, Shipp is excited by the city’s rebirth and believes the university can be a significant contributor to that experience. He earned his B.A. in history from U-M and his M.A. in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University.