In 2021, Rocket Community Fund and Gilbert Family Foundation made a joint $500 million, 10-year commitment to build opportunity in Detroit neighborhoods. This announcement expanded on Dan Gilbert’s longstanding commitment to Detroit, beginning with his decision to move Rocket Companies to downtown Detroit in 2010.

At the midway point of our $500 million commitment, we are looking back at our investments so far and carefully considering how to amplify our impact in the years ahead.

At both Rocket Community Fund and Gilbert Family Foundation, we believe in a future where all Detroiters are thriving. A city where economic opportunity is right outside each family’s doorstep. Where every single resident is proud to make Detroit the place they start businesses, build careers, form lifelong relationships and—most importantly—call home.

Our strategy focuses on protecting Detroit residents from losing their homes to tax foreclosure or facing eviction. Once they are safely and securely housed, we work to connect them to opportunities to build wealth and access greater economic opportunity. Simultaneously, we build on this strategy with community-wide investments in public spaces and arts & culture that bring people together and strengthen social bonds. And we do it all with the deep collaboration and support of partner organizations that share our unwavering passion for Detroit.

Gilbert Family Foundation’s layered approach aims to maximize the stability of residents while creating a pathway to greater prosperity and stronger neighborhoods. Click the links below to learn more about each of our investment areas.

Housing Stability: From addressing Detroit’s tax foreclosure crisis to streamlining access to home repair funding, we are proud to invest in programs that provide safe and stable housing to Detroit families.

Economic Mobility: We invest in programs and partnerships that provide Detroit residents and small businesses with opportunities to build economic prosperity for themselves and future generations.

Public Spaces:We are proud to support programs and partners that share our goal of providing universal access to safe public spaces within a half mile of every Detroit residence.

Arts & Culture: We are proud to support programs and partnerships that share our goal of providing universal access to arts and culture experiences for Detroit residents and contribute to the economic growth of Detroit.

The programs that Gilbert Family Foundation supports are having a real impact on the lives of Detroit residents. Below are just a few examples of impact.

• The Detroit Tax Relief Fund and its partners have helped nearly 13,000 homeowners eliminate more than $52 million in property tax debt.
• The Detroit Home Repair Fund has delivered more than 6,000 critical repairs to over 700 homes, at an average cost of $28,600 per home, making them safer and more stable for more than 1,800 Detroiters.
• The Detroit Eviction Defense Fund has served more than 5,400 Detroit residents.

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