The Detroit Action Commonwealth (D.A.C.) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community organization of indigent and homeless individuals. The mission of the D.A.C is to organize indigent and homeless persons and families, provide opportunities and workshops to help them improve their lives, develop leadership capacities, advocate for better and more humane services, and educate and mobilize around issues of social and economic justice. There are two Detroit Action Commonwealth chapters located at the Capuchin Soup Kitchens in Detroit, Michigan. 

Results

State ID Fee Waivers

• In 2009 the D.A.C. sued the Michigan Secretary of State for not complying with Michigan Compile Law that states fees for state ID cards can be waived for individuals with due cause. Most indigent Detroiters and Michiganders are unable to afford the filing fees and need IDs to gain employment, and qualify for housing and state assistance.  The law suit was settled out of court with the Michigan Secretary of State agreeing to waive state identification fees for any individual on state assistance. The D.A.C. is currenlty ensuring the state is enacting the fee waiver.

• The D.A.C. successfully campaigned for a 50% discount on birth certificates for all members born in Detroit, Michigan, and are currently working with Wayne County to expand the discount to those born in Wayne County.

Employment

• DAC gained 25 jobs for Eastside youth after meeting with the Director of Work Force Development in the City of Detroit, Melvin Gupton.

• DAC partnered with Warren Conner Development Coalition to provide stipends for 4 individuals every 3 months to clean the Eastside neighborhoods.

• In 2010 the D.A.C. organized a Ban the Box Coalition who successfully campaigned to get the City of Detroit to pass a Ban the Box Ordinance removing questions about previous misdemeanor and felony convictions from initial City of Detroit employment applications. The D.A.C.'s Returning Citizen Task Force is currently working with Councilperson Ken Cockrel, Jr. to extend the city ordinance to include initial employment applications to City of Detroit contractors.

Safe and Clean Neighborhoods

• The City of Detroit has torn down over 20 houses on the Eastside of Detroit including a factory on Mack Avenue as a result of the D.A.C.’s actions.
• The city has committee to tearing down a list of 40 burned and dilapidated houses on the Eastside of Detroit.

• DAC has gained 15 trash cans on Conner Avenue outside of one of their chapter locations.

• DAC has organized and conducted 20 neighborhood clean-ups.

Shelters and Housing

• The City of Detroit has committed to donate vacant properties for rehab on the Eastside of Detroit along with funding, for both job creation and housing for D.A.C. members.
• The D.A.C. has held many shelters accountable for the cleanup of bed bugs, and maintaining a higher quality of life for their patrons. They are currently working on a shelter quality report card system to publish each year in Detroit for both the homeless service network and homeless individuals.

Civic Participation

• The D.A.C. registered over 600 individuals to vote in November 2010.
• The D.A.C. registers an average of 30 voters a month in their chapters.