Then: The Foreclosure Crisis

In the years following the mortgage fraud scandal and the Great Recession, Southfield’s neighborhoods were hit especially hard. From 2008 to 2010, the city faced a rolling average of 1,600 vacant homes each year, as many families found themselves financially underwater.

Between 2010 and 2015, many Southfield properties tax-foreclosed by Oakland County were purchased at auction by speculators, “flippers,” and rental companies. Too often, the properties were poorly maintained—or not maintained at all. Some landlords collected rent without paying taxes, knowing the homes would be foreclosed again. Others simply held onto properties without making repairs, accelerating neighborhood decline.

At the same time, Southfield led Oakland County in mortgage foreclosures. Property values dropped, the City’s tax base eroded, and foreclosed homes were sold for a fraction of their former worth. HUD-controlled properties surged as mortgage companies collapsed.

A second wave of tax foreclosures followed when owners could not pay property taxes. Many homes were purchased at auction for “giveaway” prices, but new buyers struggled with ongoing taxes, water bills, and basic maintenance.

This cycle of foreclosure and neglect left Southfield with a weakened housing stock—far from the city’s tradition of cultural diversity, a strong business base, and attractive, well-kept neighborhoods.

Now: A Stabilized Community

Through the work of the Southfield Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (SNRI)—in partnership with the City of Southfield and Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County—this cycle was broken.

Today, Southfield enjoys:

• A stabilized and strengthened housing market.

• Significantly reduced foreclosures.

• A more vibrant mix of homeownership opportunities.

• Improved housing stock that supports healthy, thriving neighborhoods.

What was once a crisis has become an example of how community collaboration can restore stability, pride, and opportunity to a city.

All rehabilitations completed by Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County include testing for hazardous materials and, when needed, remediation of mold, lead, asbestos, and other hazardous materials.

Moreover, home rehabilitations were thorough. Kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, roofs, foundations, walls, plumbing, electrical service and windows were inspected and repaired or replaced as needed before sale to new homeowners.

The result: improved neighborhoods.

Neighborhood Stabilization • A Trusted Community Partner