Renter partnership aims to keep Detroit families in neighborhoods

DETROIT (WJBK) - A new partnership geared towards renters is already seeing success, officials said Thursday at the Michigan Chronicle Pancakes and Politics breakfast.

"There are tenants who are paying their rent every month and the landlord isn't paying the taxes and they end up getting tossed out of their house," said Duggan.

Pearlie Mack started renting a home in 2013 on Hartwell on the city's west side. She says she paid $500 a month and never missed a payment. But the landlord from out of town apparently didn't pay his taxes and Mack was going to be out of her house.  

"When I got that foreclosure letter and they said I could call someone and they could give me some help, I was overjoyed," she said.

The letter came from the non-profit United Community Housing Coalition as part of a program between the city and Quicken Loans Community Investment Fund to help renters own their own house. 

Quicken Loans closed about $300 billion of mortgages in the last three years. 

Essentially Quicken buys the home out of foreclosure, and then sells it back to the tenant.  And the price of the homes are anywhere from $2,500-$5,500.

For more information about the program, call (313) 963-3310.