TEDNYC
Drew Philp: My $500 house in Detroit -- and the neighbors who helped me rebuild it
Filmed:
Readability: 4.5
1,348,024 views
In 2009, journalist and screenwriter Drew Philp bought a ruined house in Detroit for $500. In the years that followed, as he gutted the interior and removed the heaps of garbage crowding the rooms, he didn't just learn how to repair a house -- he learned how to build a community. In a tribute to the city he loves, Philp tells us about "radical neighborliness" and makes the case that we have "the power to create the world anew together and to do it ourselves when our governments refuse."
Drew Philp - Journalist, screenwriter
Drew Philp is the author of "A $500 House in Detroit: Rebuilding an Abandoned Home and an American City," a memoir of rebuilding a former abandoned home while finding his place in his city, country, race and generation. Full bio
Drew Philp is the author of "A $500 House in Detroit: Rebuilding an Abandoned Home and an American City," a memoir of rebuilding a former abandoned home while finding his place in his city, country, race and generation. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
In 2009, I bought a house
in Detroit for 500 dollars.
in Detroit for 500 dollars.
0
743
4269
00:17
It had no windows,
no plumbing, no electricity
no plumbing, no electricity
1
5891
3761
00:21
and it was filled with trash.
2
9676
1441
00:24
The first floor held nearly
10,000 pounds of garbage,
10,000 pounds of garbage,
3
12344
3953
00:28
and that included the better part
of a Dodge Caravan,
of a Dodge Caravan,
4
16321
2843
00:31
cut into chunks with a reciprocating saw.
5
19188
2278
00:33
(Laughter)
6
21490
1195
00:34
I lived nearly two years without heat,
7
22709
2170
00:36
woke up out of a dead sleep
multiple times to gunshots,
multiple times to gunshots,
8
24903
3484
00:40
was attacked by a pack of wild dogs
9
28411
4036
00:44
and ripped my kitchen cabinets
from an abandoned school
from an abandoned school
10
32471
3676
00:48
as they were actively tearing
that school down.
that school down.
11
36171
2924
00:52
This, of course, is the Detroit
that your hear about.
that your hear about.
12
40626
3057
00:55
Make no mistake, it's real.
13
43707
1609
00:58
But there's another Detroit, too.
14
46929
1808
01:00
Another Detroit that's more hopeful,
15
48761
2068
01:02
more innovative,
16
50853
1291
01:04
and may just provide some of the answers
17
52168
2151
01:06
to cities struggling to reinvent
themselves everywhere.
themselves everywhere.
18
54343
2949
01:10
These answers, however, do not
necessarily adhere to conventional wisdom
necessarily adhere to conventional wisdom
19
58045
4832
01:14
about good development.
20
62901
1403
01:17
I think Detroit's real strength
boils down to two words:
boils down to two words:
21
65472
4236
01:21
radical neighborliness.
22
69732
2118
01:24
And I wasn't able to see it myself
until I lived there.
until I lived there.
23
72529
2758
01:28
About a decade ago,
24
76684
1151
01:29
I moved to Detroit with no friends,
no job and no money,
no job and no money,
25
77859
3523
01:33
at a time when it seemed
like everyone else was moving out.
like everyone else was moving out.
26
81406
3191
01:36
Between 2000 and 2010,
27
84621
2731
01:39
25 percent of the city's population left.
28
87376
2711
01:42
This included about half
of the elementary-aged children.
of the elementary-aged children.
29
90111
3017
01:46
This was after six decades of decline.
30
94128
2214
01:48
A city built for almost two million
was down to less than 800,000.
was down to less than 800,000.
31
96718
4387
01:54
What you usually don't hear
is that people didn't go very far.
is that people didn't go very far.
32
102212
3492
01:58
The population of the Detroit
metro area itself
metro area itself
33
106826
3299
02:02
has largely remained steady
since the '70s.
since the '70s.
34
110149
2425
02:05
Most people who left Detroit
just went to the suburbs,
just went to the suburbs,
35
113047
2946
02:08
while the 139 square miles
of the city deteriorated,
of the city deteriorated,
36
116017
3631
02:12
leaving some estimates as high
as 40 square miles of abandoned land --
as 40 square miles of abandoned land --
37
120804
5150
02:17
about the size of San Francisco.
38
125978
1897
02:21
Aside from platitudes such as the vague
and agentless "deindustrialization,"
and agentless "deindustrialization,"
39
129077
4861
02:25
Detroit's exodus can be summed up
with two structures:
with two structures:
40
133962
2897
02:28
freeways and walls.
41
136883
1847
02:31
The freeways,
42
139612
1202
02:32
coupled with massive
governmental subsidies
governmental subsidies
43
140838
2557
02:35
for the suburbs via
infrastructure and home loans,
infrastructure and home loans,
44
143419
3618
02:39
allowed people to leave the city at will,
45
147061
2592
02:41
taking with it tax base,
jobs and education dollars.
jobs and education dollars.
46
149677
3715
02:46
The walls made sure
only certain people could leave.
only certain people could leave.
47
154222
2921
02:50
In multiple places,
48
158111
1150
02:51
brick and concrete walls
separate city and suburbs,
separate city and suburbs,
49
159285
3699
02:55
white and black,
50
163008
1507
02:56
running directly across municipal streets
51
164539
2397
02:58
and through neighborhoods.
52
166960
1634
03:00
They're mere physical manifestations
of racist housing practices
of racist housing practices
53
168618
4017
03:04
such as redlining,
54
172659
1159
03:05
[Denying services to people of color]
55
173842
1777
03:07
restrictive covenants
56
175643
1150
03:09
and outright terror.
57
177972
1346
03:11
In 1971, the Ku Klux Klan
bombed 10 school buses
bombed 10 school buses
58
179764
4104
03:15
rather than have them transport
integrated students.
integrated students.
59
183892
2849
03:19
All these have made Detroit
the most racially segregated metro area
the most racially segregated metro area
60
187772
4056
03:23
in the United States.
61
191852
1377
03:26
I grew up in a small town in Michigan,
62
194735
1942
03:28
the son of a relatively
blue-collar family.
blue-collar family.
63
196701
2111
03:31
And after university,
I wanted to do something --
I wanted to do something --
64
199294
2523
03:33
probably naïvely --
65
201841
1151
03:35
to help.
66
203016
1150
03:36
I didn't want to be one of the almost
50 percent of college graduates
50 percent of college graduates
67
204594
3437
03:40
leaving the state at the time,
68
208055
1931
03:42
and I thought I might use
my fancy college education at home
my fancy college education at home
69
210010
3419
03:45
for something positive.
70
213453
1407
03:47
I'd been reading this great
American philosopher named Grace Lee Boggs
American philosopher named Grace Lee Boggs
71
215741
3835
03:51
who happened to live in Detroit,
72
219600
1755
03:53
and she said something I can't forget.
73
221379
2731
03:56
"The most radical thing
that I ever did was to stay put."
that I ever did was to stay put."
74
224847
3881
04:02
I thought buying a house might
indelibly tie me to the city
indelibly tie me to the city
75
230355
3905
04:06
while acting as a physical protest
to these walls and freeways.
to these walls and freeways.
76
234284
3134
04:10
Because grants and loans
weren't available to everyone,
weren't available to everyone,
77
238084
2572
04:12
I decided I was going
to do this without them
to do this without them
78
240680
2310
04:15
and that I would wage my personal fight
79
243014
1883
04:16
against the city that had loomed
over my childhood with power tools.
over my childhood with power tools.
80
244921
3417
04:21
I eventually found an abandoned house
in a neighborhood called Poletown.
in a neighborhood called Poletown.
81
249284
3565
04:25
It looked like the apocalypse
had descended.
had descended.
82
253730
2104
04:28
The neighborhood was prairie land.
83
256585
1683
04:30
A huge, open expanse of waist-high grass
84
258292
2761
04:33
cluttered only by a handful
of crippled, abandoned structures
of crippled, abandoned structures
85
261077
3771
04:36
and a few brave holdouts
with well-kept homes.
with well-kept homes.
86
264872
2150
04:40
Just a 15-minute bike ride
from the baseball stadium downtown,
from the baseball stadium downtown,
87
268960
4127
04:45
the neighborhood was positively rural.
88
273111
2536
04:48
What houses were left looked like
cardboard boxes left in the rain;
cardboard boxes left in the rain;
89
276921
3563
04:52
two-story monstrosities
with wide-open shells
with wide-open shells
90
280508
2993
04:55
and melted porches.
91
283525
1373
04:57
One of the most striking things
I remember were the rosebushes,
I remember were the rosebushes,
92
285348
3567
05:00
forgotten and running wild
over tumbled-down fences,
over tumbled-down fences,
93
288939
3227
05:04
no longer cared for by anyone.
94
292190
1929
05:07
This was my house on the day
I boarded it up
I boarded it up
95
295565
2934
05:10
to protect it from the elements
and further decay.
and further decay.
96
298523
2364
05:13
I eventually purchased it
from the county in a live auction.
from the county in a live auction.
97
301344
3273
05:16
I'd assumed the neighborhood was dead.
98
304641
1811
05:18
That I was some kind of pioneer.
99
306476
2725
05:22
Well, I couldn't have been more wrong.
100
310223
1887
05:24
I was in no way a pioneer,
101
312554
1496
05:26
and would come to understand
how offensive that is.
how offensive that is.
102
314074
2467
05:29
One of the first things I learned
was to add my voice to the chorus,
was to add my voice to the chorus,
103
317844
3738
05:33
not overwrite what was already happening.
104
321606
1975
05:36
(Voice breaking) Because
the neighborhood hadn't died.
the neighborhood hadn't died.
105
324127
2572
05:38
It had just transformed in a way
that was difficult to see
that was difficult to see
106
326723
2780
05:41
if you didn't live there.
107
329527
1318
05:43
Poletown was home
to an incredibly resourceful,
to an incredibly resourceful,
108
331274
2546
05:45
incredibly intelligent
and incredibly resilient community.
and incredibly resilient community.
109
333844
3695
05:50
It was there I first experienced
the power of radical neighborliness.
the power of radical neighborliness.
110
338499
4701
05:55
During the year I worked
on my house before moving in,
on my house before moving in,
111
343985
2524
05:58
I lived in a microcommunity
inside Poletown,
inside Poletown,
112
346533
2468
06:01
founded by a wild and virtuous farmer
named Paul Weertz.
named Paul Weertz.
113
349025
3716
06:05
Paul was a teacher
in a Detroit public school
in a Detroit public school
114
353522
2510
06:08
for pregnant and parenting mothers,
115
356056
1779
06:09
and his idea was to teach
the young women to raise their children
the young women to raise their children
116
357859
3069
06:12
by first raising plants and animals.
117
360952
1723
06:15
While the national average graduation rate
for pregnant teens is about 40 percent,
for pregnant teens is about 40 percent,
118
363785
4266
06:20
at Catherine Ferguson Academy
it was often above 90,
it was often above 90,
119
368075
3185
06:23
in part due to Paul's ingenuity.
120
371284
1797
06:25
Paul brought much of this innovation
to his block in Poletown,
to his block in Poletown,
121
373716
2994
06:28
which he'd stewarded
for more than 30 years,
for more than 30 years,
122
376734
2558
06:31
purchasing houses
when they were abandoned,
when they were abandoned,
123
379316
2488
06:33
convincing his friends to move in
and neighbors to stay
and neighbors to stay
124
381828
3097
06:36
and helping those who wanted
to buy their own and fix them up.
to buy their own and fix them up.
125
384949
3253
06:40
In a neighborhood where many blocks
now only hold one or two houses,
now only hold one or two houses,
126
388886
3897
06:44
all the homes on Paul's block stand.
127
392807
2228
06:47
It's an incredible testament
to the power of community,
to the power of community,
128
395059
2572
06:49
to staying in one place
129
397655
1319
06:50
and to taking ownership
of one's own surroundings --
of one's own surroundings --
130
398998
2688
06:53
of simply doing it yourself.
131
401710
1917
06:56
It's the kind of place where black doctors
live next to white hipsters
live next to white hipsters
132
404244
3941
07:00
next to immigrant mothers from Hungary
133
408209
1811
07:02
or talented writers
from the jungles of Belize,
from the jungles of Belize,
134
410044
2793
07:04
showing me Detroit
wasn't just black and white,
wasn't just black and white,
135
412861
2235
07:07
and diversity could flourish
when it's encouraged.
when it's encouraged.
136
415120
2722
07:10
Each year, neighbors assemble to bale hay
for the farm animals on the block,
for the farm animals on the block,
137
418466
4296
07:14
teaching me just how much
a small group of people can get done
a small group of people can get done
138
422786
3206
07:18
when they work together,
139
426016
1691
07:19
and the magnetism of fantastical
yet practical ideas.
yet practical ideas.
140
427731
4402
07:24
Radical neighborliness is every house
behind Paul's block burning down,
behind Paul's block burning down,
141
432929
4393
07:29
and instead of letting it fill up
with trash and despair,
with trash and despair,
142
437346
3232
07:32
Paul and the surrounding community
creating a giant circular garden
creating a giant circular garden
143
440602
3327
07:35
ringed with dozens of fruit trees,
beehives and garden plots
beehives and garden plots
144
443953
3654
07:39
for anyone that wants one,
145
447631
1802
07:41
helping me see that our challenges
can often be assets.
can often be assets.
146
449457
3079
07:45
It's where residents are experimenting
with renewable energy and urban farming
with renewable energy and urban farming
147
453044
4326
07:49
and offering their skills
and discoveries to others,
and discoveries to others,
148
457394
2873
07:52
illustrating we don't necessarily
have to beg the government
have to beg the government
149
460291
2858
07:55
to provide solutions.
150
463173
1253
07:56
We can start ourselves.
151
464450
1356
07:58
It's where, for months,
152
466344
1218
07:59
one of my neighbors
left her front door unlocked
left her front door unlocked
153
467586
2413
08:02
in one of the most violent
and dangerous cities in America
and dangerous cities in America
154
470023
2768
08:04
so I could have a shower
whenever I needed to go to work,
whenever I needed to go to work,
155
472815
3002
08:07
as I didn't yet have one.
156
475841
1464
08:10
It was when it came time to raise
the beam on my own house
the beam on my own house
157
478416
2715
08:13
that holds the structure aloft --
158
481155
1595
08:14
a beam that I cut out of an abandoned
recycling factory down the street
recycling factory down the street
159
482774
3403
08:18
when not a single wall
was left standing --
was left standing --
160
486201
2258
08:20
a dozen residents of Poletown
showed up to help lift it, Amish style.
showed up to help lift it, Amish style.
161
488483
3305
08:25
Radical neighborliness is a zygote
that grows into a worldview
that grows into a worldview
162
493970
3173
08:29
that ends up in homes and communities
rebuilt in ways that respect humanity
rebuilt in ways that respect humanity
163
497167
4229
08:33
and the environment.
164
501420
1352
08:34
It's realizing we have the power
to create the world anew together
to create the world anew together
165
502796
3347
08:38
and to do it ourselves
when our governments refuse.
when our governments refuse.
166
506167
2710
08:42
This is the Detroit that you
don't hear much about.
don't hear much about.
167
510015
2390
08:45
The Detroit between
the ruin porn on one hand
the ruin porn on one hand
168
513271
3294
08:48
and the hipster coffee shops
169
516589
1743
08:50
and billionaires
saving the city on the other.
saving the city on the other.
170
518356
2590
08:53
There's a third way to rebuild,
171
521520
1655
08:55
and it declines to make
the same mistakes of the past.
the same mistakes of the past.
172
523199
2823
08:59
While building my house,
173
527285
1151
09:00
I found something
I didn't know I was looking for --
I didn't know I was looking for --
174
528460
2433
09:02
what a lot of millennials
175
530917
1205
09:04
and people who are moving
back to cities are looking for.
back to cities are looking for.
176
532146
2711
09:07
Radical neighborliness is just
another word for true community,
another word for true community,
177
535195
3784
09:11
the kind bound my memory and history,
178
539003
2137
09:13
mutual trust and familiarity
built over years and irreplaceable.
built over years and irreplaceable.
179
541164
4348
09:18
And now, as you may have heard,
180
546028
2226
09:20
Detroit is having a renaissance
181
548278
2176
09:22
and pulling itself up
from the ashes of despair,
from the ashes of despair,
182
550478
2785
09:25
and the children and grandchildren
of those who fled are returning,
of those who fled are returning,
183
553287
3618
09:28
which is true.
184
556929
1150
09:31
What isn't true is that this renaissance
is reaching most Detroiters,
is reaching most Detroiters,
185
559198
3540
09:34
or even more than a small fraction of them
186
562762
2020
09:36
that don't live in the central
areas of the city.
areas of the city.
187
564806
2387
09:39
These are the kind of people
that have been in Detroit for generations
that have been in Detroit for generations
188
567869
3286
09:43
and are mostly black.
189
571179
1289
09:44
In 2016 alone,
190
572891
1472
09:46
just last year,
191
574387
1150
09:48
(Voice breaking) one in six
houses in Detroit
houses in Detroit
192
576965
2415
09:51
had their water shut off.
193
579404
1310
09:55
Excuse me.
194
583057
1150
09:58
The United Nations has called this
a violation of human rights.
a violation of human rights.
195
586622
3472
10:03
And since 2005, one in three houses --
196
591134
3408
10:06
think about this, please --
197
594566
1436
10:09
one in every three houses
has been foreclosed in the city,
has been foreclosed in the city,
198
597824
3565
10:13
representing a population
about the size of Buffalo, New York.
about the size of Buffalo, New York.
199
601413
3556
10:17
(Sniffles)
200
605649
1150
10:19
One in three houses foreclosed is not
a crisis of personal responsibility;
a crisis of personal responsibility;
201
607513
4910
10:24
it is systemic.
202
612447
1150
10:26
Many Detroiters, myself included,
203
614640
2700
10:29
are worried segregation
is now returning to the city itself
is now returning to the city itself
204
617364
3689
10:33
on the coattails of this renaissance.
205
621077
1972
10:38
Ten years ago,
206
626142
1198
10:39
it was not possible
to go anywhere in Detroit
to go anywhere in Detroit
207
627364
2287
10:41
and be in a crowd
completely made of white people.
completely made of white people.
208
629675
3606
10:45
Now, troublingly, that is possible.
209
633305
2899
10:48
This is the price that we're paying
for conventional economic resurgence.
for conventional economic resurgence.
210
636940
5826
10:54
We're creating two Detroits,
two classes of citizens,
two classes of citizens,
211
642790
3711
10:58
cracking the community apart.
212
646525
1761
11:00
For all the money and subsidies,
213
648725
1648
11:02
for all the streetlights installed,
214
650397
1667
11:04
the dollars for new stadiums
and slick advertisements
and slick advertisements
215
652088
2845
11:06
and positive buzz,
216
654957
1408
11:08
we're shutting off water
to tens of thousands of people
to tens of thousands of people
217
656389
4463
11:12
living right on the Great Lakes,
218
660876
1748
11:14
the world's largest source of it.
219
662648
1930
11:17
Separate has always meant unequal.
220
665636
2204
11:20
This is a grave mistake for all of us.
221
668896
2150
11:24
When economic development
comes at the cost of community,
comes at the cost of community,
222
672132
2709
11:26
it's not just those
who have lost their homes
who have lost their homes
223
674865
2187
11:29
or access to water who are harmed,
224
677076
1937
11:31
but it breaks little pieces
of our own humanity as well.
of our own humanity as well.
225
679037
3672
11:38
None of us can truly be free,
226
686276
1916
11:40
none of us can truly be comfortable,
227
688216
2136
11:42
until our neighbors are, too.
228
690376
1732
11:44
For those of us coming in,
229
692888
1826
11:46
it means we must make sure
we aren't inadvertently contributing
we aren't inadvertently contributing
230
694738
2995
11:49
to the destruction of community again,
231
697757
2209
11:51
and to follow the lead
232
699990
1151
11:53
of those who have been working
on these problems for years.
on these problems for years.
233
701165
2991
11:56
In Detroit, that means average citizens
deputizing themselves
deputizing themselves
234
704180
4002
12:00
to create water stations and deliveries
for those who have lost access to it.
for those who have lost access to it.
235
708206
3677
12:04
Or clergy and teachers
engaging in civil disobedience
engaging in civil disobedience
236
712366
2759
12:07
to block water shutoff trucks.
237
715149
1747
12:09
It's organizations buying back
foreclosed homes for their inhabitants
foreclosed homes for their inhabitants
238
717420
3866
12:13
or fighting misinformation
on forced sales through social media
on forced sales through social media
239
721310
3342
12:16
and volunteer-run hotlines.
240
724676
1828
12:19
For me, it means helping others
to raise the beams
to raise the beams
241
727231
2634
12:21
on their own formerly abandoned houses,
242
729889
2218
12:24
or helping to educate
those with privilege,
those with privilege,
243
732131
2187
12:26
now increasingly moving into cities,
244
734342
1984
12:28
how we might come in and support
245
736350
2129
12:30
rather than stress existing communities.
246
738503
2275
12:32
It's chipping in when
a small group of neighbors decides
a small group of neighbors decides
247
740802
2870
12:35
to buy back a foreclosed home
248
743696
1797
12:37
and return the deeds to the occupants.
249
745517
2154
12:40
And for you, for all of us,
250
748352
2605
12:42
it means finding a role to play
in our own communities.
in our own communities.
251
750981
3110
12:46
It means living your life as a reflection
of the world that you want to live in.
of the world that you want to live in.
252
754777
4531
12:51
It means trusting those
who know the problems best --
who know the problems best --
253
759332
3417
12:54
the people who live them --
254
762773
1528
12:56
with solutions.
255
764325
1157
12:58
I know a third way is possible
because I have lived it.
because I have lived it.
256
766919
3504
13:02
I live it right now
257
770845
4353
13:07
in a neighborhood called Poletown
258
775222
1572
13:08
in one of the most
maligned cities in the world.
maligned cities in the world.
259
776818
2368
13:11
If we can do it in Detroit,
260
779640
1539
13:13
you can do it wherever you're from, too.
261
781203
1908
13:16
What I've learned over the last decade,
262
784094
1912
13:18
building my house,
263
786030
1903
13:19
wasn't so much about wiring
or plumbing or carpentry --
or plumbing or carpentry --
264
787957
2987
13:22
although I did learn these things --
265
790968
2654
13:25
is that true change, real change,
266
793646
2995
13:28
starts first with community,
267
796665
1807
13:30
with a radical sense
of what it means to be a neighbor.
of what it means to be a neighbor.
268
798496
3209
13:34
It turned at least one
abandoned house into a home.
abandoned house into a home.
269
802681
2952
13:38
Thank you.
270
806234
1151
13:39
(Applause)
271
807409
3344
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Drew Philp - Journalist, screenwriterDrew Philp is the author of "A $500 House in Detroit: Rebuilding an Abandoned Home and an American City," a memoir of rebuilding a former abandoned home while finding his place in his city, country, race and generation.
Why you should listen
Drew Philp is a freelance writer living in his rehabbed house and most often covers inequity in the Midwest for the Guardian. He has hitchhiked the Rustbelt to speak with average Americans about changing manhood and walked to Cleveland from Detroit to speak to postindustrial trump supporters in pursuit of stories. Philp has also been published in BuzzFeed, The Detroit Free Press, De Correspondent and other national and international outlets.
In 2009, Philp bought an abandoned house in Detroit with no windows, plumbing or electricity, which was filled with 10,000 pounds of trash. Living without heat for nearly two years, fighting wild packs of dogs, and harvesting materials from the often burning neighborhood, Philp repaired the house with his own hands and the help of his dynamic community. He lives there with his dog Gratiot.
Philp has also hitchhiked the US, co-taught a class on race to all white students at the University of Michigan, written scripts in the film industry and taught for many years inside prisons and juvenile justice institutions across the state. His accolades include the Stuart and Vernice Gross award for literature, an 11th Hour Food and Farming Fellowship facilitated by Michael Pollan and a 2017 Kresge Arts in Detroit fellowship.
Drew Philp | Speaker | TED.com