Abstract

Self-help homeownership programs attempt to benefit both individual low-income families and their neighborhoods. This study draws on a 2011 survey of residents in an East Detroit neighborhood, which has had an influx of new residents through an affordable clustered housing development at the same time it has lost population through foreclosures. This article examines measures of neighboring activity and instrumental civic engagement behaviors of homeowners and other residents. We hypothesize that program affiliation, reflecting the relationships among new homeowners, influences communication and civic engagement.