Our Mission in Detroit

Strengthening the Villages of Detroit Together

The Villages CDC promotes growth that represents, protects, respects and enriches our existing community.

Our Vision

Advocating for Every Neighborhood & Every Neighbor

We are advocates and an information resource to our stakeholders.

We represent the full spectrum of our diverse neighborhoods, celebrating our uniqueness while promoting unity among our neighborhoods. We reflect the values of the community to developers and the city, and communicate opportunities for development back to the community.

Our Values

The Principles That Guide Our Work

Community Access & Inclusion

We believe community members should have clear, understandable information about growth opportunities and ways to influence our future. We make complex policy information accessible and create opportunities for civic participation by informing the community about ways to engage in policy-making and enforcement processes.  This, in turn, enables residents to be able to play a more robust role in shaping the future of our neighborhoods.

Diversity

We aim to foster a community that reflects our diverse mix of socioeconomic and demographic backgrounds. We actively include all groups in our activities and oversight structure to protect and expand this diversity.

Sustainability

We believe in growth that sustains our community and enhances everyone’s quality of life. We promote growth that supports residents and improves quality of life without displacement.

Shared Responsibility

We create opportunities for community members to understand growth opportunities and threats to our way of life, and to weigh in on decisions that affect both. It is also the responsibility of community members to engage in these opportunities and take ownership of our collective future.

2026 Strategic Plan for The Villages of Detroit

Strengthening Housing, Streets & Community

    • Spring cleanup (Motor City Makeover)

    • Spring Fundraiser

    • Fall Harvest

    • Holiday Party

    • Quarterly engagement sessions

    • Spend $2,000 on event co-sponsorship and project support for neighborhood groups.

    • Continue to implement the board ambassador program where board members attend neighborhood association meetings and talk about VCDC, track activities.

    • For VBA and VCDC quarterly engagement sessions, have at least 40 participants external to the organization

    • For the larger events that are seasonal (MCM, Fall Harvest, Christmas Party) have at least sixty.

    • Leverage new branding collateral to have materials on Facebook and Instagram at least three times weekly that reflect the brand guidelines with an emphasis on at least one video a week as well as high quality photos.

Strategic Focus #1: Events & Engagement

    • Continue the fourth cohort of 7 households.

    • Highlight the accomplishments of the program via engagement strategies.

    • Case manage former client base to continuously assess eligibility of new funding or programs

    • Creation of a new project fund to build or acquire and renovate existing housing assets in the Villages.

    • Continue to assess potential partnerships with nonprofits or for-profit developers to create housing opportunities.

    • Advocate for continued code enforcement to reduce speculation.

    • Advocate for legalizing missing middle housing in the revisions to the zoning ordinance.

Strategic Focus #2: Housing

    • Host four engagement sessions towards the projects that revolve around their selections: (e.g., DWSD (Detroit Water and Sewerage Department) matters, blight and traffic calming.)

    • Create a specific and detailed work plan to be jointly administered between neighborhood supporters and VCDC for each of the three topics.

    • Advocate for DWSD to include the Villages in their ongoing capital planning and investment process for infrastructure renewal.

    • Work with residents on a tactical basis to get problematic hot spots, such as alley sinkholes and broken fire hydrants, repaired.

    • Execute on the first batch of projects (wayfinding kiosk, branded trash cans, illustrated map and mini marketing campaign) identified by the group .

    • Conduct quarterly meetings with VBA stakeholders

    • Identify and execute a second batch of projects to be validated in conjunction with the VBA membership.

Strategic Focus #3: Neighborhoods

    • Work with neighborhood groups to identify needed traffic calming interventions and develop plans for engagement with DPW.

    • Continue to attend the truck route policy working group.

    • Advocate for the City to pass a truck routes policy.

    • Conduct Motor City Makeover in alleys where we have clear resident support for them to remain free and clear of debris and plant overgrowth. 

    • Coordinate with Dept. of Neighborhoods to ensure enforcement at locations where there is dumping and overgrowth. 

    • Continue to report dangling, duplicative and thickets of telecomms lines.

    • Install additional lighting in alleys we have adopted. 

    • Stress particular emphasis on getting sinkhole repairs in alleys we have adopted.  

Strategic Focus #4: Streets

Support The Villages

The Villages of Detroit

Neighbors, Businesses & Community Partners

We work with residents and businesses within the footprint that stretches from Mount Elliott Avenue in the west to St. Jean Street in the east, from Mack Avenue in the north going all the way down to the Detroit River. The Villages district consists of 15,000 Detroiters, and includes the following organizations within each neighborhood:

Meet The Villages Team

The People Who Power Our Work