Brightmoor is one of the neighborhoods worst affected by blight; in July of 2014 50 percent of the 9,848 surveyed lots were vacant, as a result of earlier demolition efforts, while another 1,636 were home to unoccupied structures. The Brightmoor Alliance, aware of the national media's depiction of Detroit's decay, is actively working to turn vacant lots into urban farms and parks.
Jamil Abdul Hakim speaks with a Michigan Daily reporter about the high incidence of blight in his neighborhood and his desire to buy some of the neighboring vacant lots for his family.
Jamil Abdul Hakim's daughters, who are home-schooled by their mother, cross the street in the Brightmoor neighborhood. Their father owns land on both sides of the street and is hoping to buy more.
