East Chadsey-Condon is a multi-cultural community that faces a unique set of challenges – high instances of crime among youth, a large percentage of residents without insurance, limited access to transportation, and low homeownership rates, among others. And yet hope remains as residents report having pride in their community, a median age of 29, and the population of East Chadsey-Condon grew in the last census. More than 28,000 individuals call East Chadsey-Condon “home” and the area has one of the highest populations of children 0-5 in the city of Detroit.
MiSide Community Impact Network (MiSide) has considered the East Chadsey-Condon community one of its core neighborhoods of focus for over 20 years. Now, they have a greater vision for support and stabilization as a result of the transformation of the Michigan Central Station.
MiSide was formed in 2023 through a combination of Southwest Solutions and Development Centers, Inc. and provides services to more than 25,000 people in the metro Detroit area annually.
Making a Theory of Change More Than Just a Theory
MiSide developed its Theory of Change over several decades through a combination of research on strategies to revitalize neighborhoods and reduce poverty, along with real world experience providing services that improve health, housing stability, employability, and quality of life for people in marginalized communities.
MiSide’s Theory of Change suggests that when the following elements are present in a community, or are accessible to a large enough number of individuals therein, measurable improvements in the quality of life, health, and self-sufficiency of community residents are
observed, and the likelihood that their children will live above the poverty line as adults, improves:
- Opportunities to build a sense of community;
- A sense of personal security and safety;
- Access to physical and mental health care;
- Quality affordable housing;
- High quality early childhood education;
- Opportunities to improve employment prospects;
- Skills to build wealth; and
- Affordable and accessible public transportation.
MiSide is attempting to apply its Theory of Change in the East Chadsey-Condon neighborhood as a test case for an integrated and coordinated approach that brings these characteristics to life in a defined geographic area. The goal of which is to create a measurable reduction in poverty and improve quality of life.
Individuals are Multi-Dimensional and so are Their Problems
MiSide believes that an individual’s needs are connected and so should the approach to address those needs. For example, an individual who left a rehabilitation facility after struggling with addiction may now be experiencing housing instability and difficulty finding employment.
What if there was an organization that could help address multiple of these core issues under one roof and could do so in a coordinated manner? MiSide attempts to do just that, by addressing multiple core areas of need through its four branches of services under the single MiSide umbrella:
- MiHealth – integrated behavioral and physical health services for children and adults
- MiWealth – employment and education services for youth and adults
- MiHousing – affordable housing for families and individuals
- MiEarlyYears – early childhood education and family services
Visions of a Thriving Neighborhood
Currently, the Detroit Land Bank owns nearly 70% of the vacant land in East Chadsey-Condon – MiSide is looking to change that by partnering with community-focused organizations to purchase available land to redevelop into affordable housing for Detroit seniors and families. MiSide recently broke ground on phase one of a project that will bring 80 new apartment units to the neighborhood. The first new residential buildings to be added in over 20 years.
Over the course of the next 10 years, MiSide envisions a reinvigorated and vibrant East Chadsey-Condon neighborhood. One that is filled with safe housing units owned and occupied by change agents.
These are individuals who will be instrumental in revitalization efforts that attract new community members and investments into the Detroit neighborhood. A booming population in a neighborhood that has a low crime rate and a high quality of life for individuals and families with expanded access to the behavioral and physical health services that will support a higher life expectancy.
Once MiSide achieves this in East Chadsey-Condon, imagine the possibilities of other Detroit neighborhoods growing and thriving within the larger metro Detroit region in a similar fashion.
