Our Commitment To The Neighborhoods

To our Residents, Stakeholders and Community Members:

To say that the first quarter of 2020 has seen massive changes and effects on our world, would be an understatement. Who would have thought the word “pandemic” would be commonly used, or that there would be a national order for quarantining? Or even that working remotely would become the norm? Though these and other aspects of the ongoing battle against COVID-19 have been life-altering, our foremost concern at JEI remains the health and safety of residents as well as the continued growth of the neighborhoods we serve.

Jefferson East, Inc. (JEI) is a community development corporation with over two decades of advocating for and serving communities on Detroit’s eastside. As a forty-year resident of the eastside, the last decade in Jefferson-Chalmers, no one could have told me that a time such as this would exist when I came to the organization nearly five years ago, but here we are. Our organization opened its doors twenty-six years ago and we are blessed to still be able to support the eastside today.

We do not take the needs of the communities we assist lightly. Serving residents in this unprecedented age of COVID-19 presents new challenges that we are confronting  head on. Perhaps now more than ever, it is vital that we continue to share valuable tools, assistance, and resources for homeowners and renters. In doing so, we remain steadfast in our commitment to Keeping Detroiters in their H.O.M.Es a/k/a Housing & Opportunity Matters for Everyone. You can access information on the programs we administer through this link: www.jeffersoneast.org/housing.   

A cornerstone of our approach to our work rests in knowing that strong communities make our cities viable and fruitful. This is reflected in our programs and services, which include property tax foreclosure prevention, mortgage default prevention, home repair needs, and strengthening the financial well-being of families.

We would like to share important tips for homeowners with mortgages and also connect you to COVID-19 relief options through the recently passed CARES Act, which provides help for both homeowners and renters. Please see this information below.

All the best,

Michelle Lee

Director, Housing & Neighborhood Services

Jefferson East, Inc. 


Sabrina Underwood