Nearly half of Detroit seniors spend at least 30% of their income on housing costs − even as real estate values fall

Detroit seniors pay more in homeowner’s insurance, utilities and property tax, and those on fixed incomes can struggle to make ends meet.

By: Amanda Nothaft, University of Michigan, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 13, 2026

Words: 1,470

Last Updated: 2 months, 1 week ago

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By Amanda Nothaft, University of Michigan

For Detroit homeowners over 65 who overwhelmingly live on fixed incomes, unexpected costs – increases in grocery prices, rising health care premiums or an emergency repair – heighten their risk of financial instability and can even lead to them falling into poverty.

I am a policy researcher at Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan. Our initiative uses action-based research, an approach that seeks to understand …

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