Boston-Edison Initiative

Restoring the Community…. one home at a time

The goal is to reinforce the stability of the Boston Edison Neighborhood by acquiring foreclosed properties, returning them to homeownership, and addressing blight.

The historic Boston-Edison Historic District contains over 900 homes, including some of the grandest in all of Detroit. Most were constructed between 1905 and 1925 and range in size from modest two story colonials to stately mansions. Early residents of Boston-Edison included the captains of industry. Today Boston-Edison is a multi-racial, multi-ethnic neighborhood with people from diverse occupations and professions who share a common love and appreciation of historic homes. The Boston-Edison Association, founded in 1921 is the oldest continuous neighborhood association in the City.

The Boston-Edison Association is and has been an ever present Association that has taken a firm and proactive stance to addressing their community’s challenges. For example, they have strategically organized an initiative to identify vacant housing stock, historic district housing violations, and they have an ongoing established relationship with several government entities to assure that the community needs are being addressed and taken very seriously.

Boston Edison in the News – click to see article

Even with its history and strong resident association, Boston-Edison has not escaped the consequences of the economic downturn and foreclosures. A number of the homes have been foreclosed upon, and some of the residents remain at-risk of foreclosure. Investors are purchasing and holding these properties for future profit making. It is for this reason, that the CW/NE Collaborative selected Boston-Edison for a reinforcement strategy, in partnership with the Boston-Edison Association The goal is to keep these historic structures out of the hands of investors, rehab them if necessary, and sell them to families that intend to be owner-occupants. It is for these reasons that we must invest in this historically strong neighborhood so that it is reinforced by the Association’s efforts and the North End/Central Woodward Collaborative.

To learn more about Boston-Edison and view our homes for sale

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Project 14

Named after police code 14 – signifying a return to normal operations – Project 14 is a pilot project designed to encourage police officers to purchase homes and live in the City of Detroit. By providing homeownership opportunities for public safety officers in Detroit, Project 14 seeks to reduce crime, strengthen relationships between public and safety officials and the community, and revitalize Detroit neighborhoods.

Why is Project 14 so important?

• Having police officers live where they serve as a deterrent to crime and will increase public safety in Detroit neighborhoods
• Increased interactions between police officers and the residents thy serve will further strengthen police and community relations
• Project 14 leverages federal resources to attract new residents at no cost to the City of Detroit.
• This initiative can serve as a catalyst to encourage other corporations, organizations, and individuals to live where they work.

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