This Week on One Detroit:

OPINION | Political contributors weigh in on 2024 Democratic National Convention

OPINION | The Democratic National Convention wrapped up Thursday night in Chicago with a speech from the party’s 2024 presidential nominee Kamala Harris.  

One Detroit contributor Nolan Finley, editorial page editor of The Detroit News, was in Chicago for the convention this week. He shares his thoughts on the event with fellow contributors Stephen Henderson, host of “American Black Journal” and Zoe Clark, political director for Michigan Public.

Cost of housing ranks high among young voters ahead of 2024 election

The American dream of owning a home — or even renting one — is turning into a nightmare. Home prices have jumped 47% since 2020 and half of all renters nationwide are cost-burdened — meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent, according to a 2024 Harvard University housing study. A recent report from the University of Michigan found the cost of housing is on voters’ minds. 

About 50% of Detroit households prioritize some element of housing costs as an issue they want the government to address, said Mara Ostfeld, faculty lead of U-M’s Detroit Metro Area Communities Study.  

Affordable housing is one of the top concerns for young people. 

“We really saw this pop out among younger Detroiters, and this is consistent with national polls that younger Detroiters and younger Americans are far more concerned about the cost of housing,” Ostfeld said. “Especially as they’re entering into that phase of their life where they’re starting to pay their own rent or starting to put down payments on their own homes.” 

University of Michigan Associate Professor Roshanak Mehdipanah, the Director of Housing Solutions for Health Equity, said multiple factors make it difficult for younger people to buy their first homes, including rising housing costs, having enough money for a downpayment and higher interest rates. 

Voters are looking for candidates that have a plan to address their concerns, Ostfeld said.  

“If we want to see more young voters participate in the electoral process … we need to pay more attention to the issues that they’re saying are their top concerns, and housing is clearly high ranked among them,” she said. 

PBS News Hour Student Reporting Labs Gwen Ifill Legacy Fellow Maria Witcher talks with Ostfeld and Mehdipanah about housing concerns and how they could drive young voters to the polls. 

Late Detroit priest Father Solanus Casey could become first U.S. born male to attain sainthood

Father Solanus Casey, a Catholic priest who served Detroiters from the St. Bonaventure monastery on the city’s east side, died in 1957 but many still feel the impact of his service. When Casey passed away at age 86, 10,000 people came to pay their respects. 

“They feel his presence,” said Brother Steven Kropp, Director of the Solanus Casey Center, “His oneness with people and his desire to participate in their life somehow.” 

Casey was elevated to the status of Blessed by the Vatican in 2017 and he is one step away from being named a saint. Casey would become the first male born in the United States to attain sainthood, which could come at any time Kropp believes. “I truly believe it’s going to happen… It’ll happen sooner than later,” he said.

He served not only in Detroit but spent years in New York and Indiana before returning to St. Bonaventure in Detroit’s Islandview neighborhood. In the decades since Casey’s passing, there have reportedly been a number of miraculous events connected to people who have prayed at his tomb, which can be seen at the Solanus Casey Center attached to the monastery. 

One Detroit’s Bill Kubota visited the Solanus Casey Center to learn about Casey’s life, legacy and potential elevation to sainthood.

One Detroit Weekend: August 23, 2024 

This weekend is all about good food and good tunes. Visit a variety of food events like the Taste of Greece Festival, the Novi Taco Fest and the Polish Festival.  

Then, find live music at the Ford House’s outdoor summer concert with the Michigan Philharmonic and at the Detroit Bourbon and Blues Festival in Eastern Market.  

Plus, there’s the Michigan Made Festival, the Genesee County Fair and more. One Detroit contributor Peter Whorf of 90.9 WRCJ shares what’s coming up this weekend in and around Detroit. 

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