Foreclosed on grandma now lives in van

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Downtown Detroit is flourishing; the mayor's talking about it, the police are talking about, even us. But what about where the people LIVE? What's going on there?

Detroit is no longer in the top 20 cities in terms of population. But they're spinning it like it's good news because we are losing fewer people every year.

Do you believe that? Charlie LeDuff doesn't and he wants to know: where did everyone go?

Since the economy went bust in 2009, about 86,000 Detroit homes have gone on the auction block according to Loveland Technologies. That means there are tens of thousands of families on the street and thousands more are expected this year.

One of those neighborhoods is in MorningSide. It's bordered on the north by Harper Avenue, on the south by Mack, Alter is on the west and Outer Drive is on the east.

Twiana Odom lives in MorningSide. She used to have a house there, too. Now, she lives in a van across the street from her home.

But she still cuts the grass.

"Because it's the neighborhood I want to be in. I care about it," Twiana said.

Where do these people go? Twiana chose a van in a vacant lot, while some moved south and others went west.

How did she get here? She was outbid on the home that she once rented and wanted to buy. A speculator offered $200 more than the Detroit woman to buy the house.

In Detroit, they talk about the downtown miracle, about the people moving in, about the buildings going up. They don't talk about the neighborhoods - so Charlie will. Click play in the video above to watch.