Dispatch from the Field: Kicking off the Search for Healthy Housing Programs in Detroit

By Alison Rein, Vice President of Health and Human Services, Quantified Ventures

One of the great pleasures of my job is leaving the office – not to go home necessarily (although that’s good too), but to meet with and learn from the dedicated non-profit leaders who are change agents in their communities, and across the country.

Last week took me to Detroit, Michigan – a city I’d not visited prior to work on this initiative- and which I’m learning to love. Like many formerly thriving manufacturing hubs, Detroit has faced well-documented financial decline and disinvestment, with significant population loss and adversity in the last several decades. And, while there are promising signs of the City’s growth and redevelopment, there are still significant challenges to navigate, such as poverty, housing affordability, and rent burden.

So, on a grey and rainy Wednesday, I spent the morning with about 30 non-profit leaders serving Detroit – all of them present to learn more about outcomes-based financings as a way to scale housing interventions that improve health. While truly inspiring to meet people who dedicate their time to improving the lives of others, what I always love most about these opportunities is the “eureka” moment; the time when the mechanics of the financing are (at least somewhat) clear, the roles and relationships mapped, and the simple elegance of the model sinks in: i.e., it’s a way to access the flexible and adequate capital needed to deliver outcomes that matter to them – and others in their community.   

Through our partnership with the Quicken Loans Community Fund and the City of Detroit Department of Housing and Revitalization, Quantified Ventures launched this competitive opportunity, and are soliciting proposals for holistic and innovative housing programs that, absent capital, do not have a viable path to full implementation and scale. We are encouraged by the interest expressed thus far, eager to see what amazing proposals come in the door, and excited to share the award news early next year!

Until then, please drop a line with any questions, and feel free to share the opportunity with your networks.