Our Impact

We collaborate whenever possible, both with internal partners at U-M and with external policymakers and community stakeholders. We work toward being responsive to the needs and interests of our partners, rather than allowing our own priorities to drive the work. And we seek to address concrete challenges faced by disadvantaged families across systems such as housing, transportation, employment, and health.

Building on this progress, we’re looking forward to deepening our impact this year, especially in Detroit.

We know Detroit is a city with a proud history. The city is blessed with rich cultural institutions and natural assets. Yet for too long, Detroit has ranked as the poorest large city in America. But today there is significant reason for optimism. A revitalized city government means that core services are back on track, and the city is engaged in numerous efforts to improve the lives of its residents. Parts of the city are unrecognizable from two decades prior. Midtown and downtown are vibrant; businesses are moving in and rents have skyrocketed.

The true test of a recovery, however, is whether it can lift up everyone. Can we, collectively, do something transformational to radically bolster economic mobility and reduce poverty? How does a major city even do such a thing?

First and foremost, action is required across all systems and sectors. Government can’t do it alone, nor can community-based groups. Employers, universities, and decision-makers from the broader region must be a part of the solution. Collective impact means identifying common goals and organizing the actions of actors to achieve those goals. (Read more about our partnership efforts in Detroit beginning on p. 4.)

As we continue to deepen our engagement with Detroit, we have also focused on service to the state, through our work on homelessness and housing instability instability (p. 18), early childhood education, and partnership efforts underway in Washtenaw County (p. 14). We’ve also made strides to extend our work by attracting an additional $8 million in external funding for important projects happening across the university. This includes a new program to pilot a “Mobility from Poverty Network” with other universities in Midwest communities.

Thank you for your interest in Poverty Solutions. I invite you to learn more about our efforts in the pages that follow. We look forward to deepening our partnerships with policymakers and communities to prevent and alleviate poverty in Michigan, the nation, and the world.

Sincerely,
H. Luke Shaefer
Director, Poverty Solutions

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