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Today — 26 June 2026WDET 101.9 FM

Detroit Evening Report: Mayor Sheffield gives update on road improvement plan

25 June 2026 at 21:06

“Our great partner, Governor Whitmer isn’t the only one fixing the roads around here,” said Mayor Sheffield yesterday, where she and the Department of Public Works gave an update to their road improvement program.

This $58 million initiative includes 140 individual major road and residential paving and construction projects, as well as bridge removals and streetscape construction.

The mayor said the project will not only fix the infrastructure of Detroit but it will build up the community’s workforce. “We are also putting Detroiters to work while we invest in our neighborhoods… 90% of the individuals that are doing this work are Detroit residents and 100% are unionized. Let’s give that a round of applause.”

Funding for the road projects will come from federal and state transportation funds. This project will begin along West Grand Boulevard.

Additional headlines for Thursday, June 25, 2026

New affordable housing complex for seniors

Earlier this week city leaders joined together for the ribbon cutting of new senior housing in Grandmont Rosedale. The new development Minock Park Place is a mixed use development bringing commercial space as well as affordable housing for seniors.  The development includes 36 one bedroom apartments and six two bedroom apartments for low to moderate income seniors.

Mike Randall, executive director of the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation, says completion of this project brings value to the neighborhood and community.  “In the face of doubt, skepticism, a global pandemic, 3 presidential terms, skyrocketing inflation and costs, yet here we stand. Not for the recognition and not to boast but to demonstrate that value exists on our corridor not just on grand river not just on 6 mile…and not just on schoolcraft but throughout all the great city of Detroit.”

Residents are expected to begin moving in in July with commercial spots opening in the first quarter of next year.  

Sports

MLB

The Tigers lost to the NY Yankees with the score of 4-2. Their next 3 game series is against the Houston Astros starting tonight at Comerica Park. First pitch is a 6:40pm.

Club soccer

Detroit City FC face Birmingham Legion FC on July 2 at Protective Stadium in Alabama 

FIFA 
And the FIFA group stage continues as TEAM USA faces Türkiye. The U.S. has a 51% chance of winning according to sports analysts. Tonight’s game at the Los Angeles stadium in Inglewood California starts at 10 p.m. EST. 

Murder mystery walking tour

And if you are looking for something spooky to get into this weekend, look no further than The Rosary Requiem—Detroit Murder Mystery Walking Tour.

The tour starts at Most Holy Redeemer Church – the church where the film “The Rosary Murders” was filmed. Organizers say the walking tour is blends mystery and intrigue, with the vibrant spice of Detroit’s Mexicantown – that means food!

For more information go to distinctivelydetroit.com.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support local journalism.

WDET strives to cover what’s happening in your community. As a public media institution, we maintain our ability to explore the music and culture of our region through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

The post Detroit Evening Report: Mayor Sheffield gives update on road improvement plan appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

Detroit Evening Report: Congressman John James calls for smoke control in Gordie Howe Bridge deal

24 June 2026 at 20:40

Michigan candidate for governor, John James, says Canadian wildfire smoke needs to be better controlled, as part of a deal to open the Gordie Howe Bridge.  James made the comments on a video on Facebook earlier this month.  

“You look at wildfire smoke every summer.  They’re throwing off 500 million vehicles’ worth of carbon emissions into our air each and every year and doing very little to nothing about it.  That’s got to change right now,” said James.  “As a part of any deal we do with Gordie Howe Bridge, we have to work in close cooperation with Ottawa to make sure they’re also managing their business, so we can keep our people healthy and we can keep our relationship strong.”   

Last summer, James wrote a letter to Canadian officials asking them for action to keep wildfire smoke from drifting into Michigan.  

President Donald Trump endorsed James on Monday to become Michigan’s next governor.  Other elected officials around the country quickly followed suit.  James will face businessman Perry Johnson, and former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox in the Aug. 4 Republican primary.   

Additional headlines for Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Detroit police pick up 180 curfew violators during fireworks 

The Detroit Police Department is reporting that it detained 180 juveniles on Monday night for curfew violations before the annual Ford fireworks show over the Detroit River.  A news release says 171 of those detained were city residents.  Nine live elsewhere.  

A special curfew was approved for fireworks night.  It required everyone under 18 to be accompanied by an adult from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m.  The police department says 19 adults were arrested for a variety of infractions, including carrying concealed weapons, aggravated assault, and disorderly conduct.  

One 18-year-old was shot by a police officer after a short chase, several hours before the fireworks began.  

Dearborn schools seek new bond approval 

Dearborn residents will see a new millage proposal on their November general election ballot.  The city’s Board of Education will ask voters to approve a $1.5 billion bond measure.  If passed, the money will fund the construction of six new schools.  

The district says the bond would also be used to remodel every remaining school building over the next 20 years.  The board approved ballot language for the proposal at Monday’s meeting. 

New apartment complex opens on west side   

A west-side Detroit neighborhood is getting a new apartment building.  The city opened the OSI Art Apartments Tuesday afternoon.  The newly constructed four-story complex provides 30 residential units.  About half qualify as “affordable housing”.  

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield says the project will make a difference along the Grand River corridor. “It is an honor as mayor to welcome this project to our city.  A project that combines housing, culture, arts – and to breathe this vibrancy back into our community, which is so needed in our city.  So I thank you all so much for investing in Detroit.”  

The development, which also includes 5,000 square feet of retail space, will be the gateway to the West End Gallery District.  The building located on Grand River near Selden is named for Nigerian-American artist Osi Audu. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support local journalism.

WDET strives to cover what’s happening in your community. As a public media institution, we maintain our ability to explore the music and culture of our region through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

The post Detroit Evening Report: Congressman John James calls for smoke control in Gordie Howe Bridge deal appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

The Metro: Why homes are built more quickly in West Michigan — and what the rest of the state can learn

By: Sam Corey
23 June 2026 at 17:21

Michigan is facing a serious housing shortage, with experts estimating the state needs to build nearly 100,000 homes.

Outdated zoning laws hinder the creation of diverse, mixed-use neighborhoods, and lengthy permitting processes slow new developments. Additionally, ongoing shortages of construction workers and building materials make it even harder to add new housing units. As a result, many new developments cater to wealthier residents, leaving residents struggling to find affordable options.

Joe Agostinelli, founder of Miller Johnson Growth Advisors, believes better financing and strong partnerships between local leaders and developers are key to expanding Michigan’s housing supply. His team is developing a new riverfront project in Grand Rapids featuring a mix of offices, apartments, and condos. Agostinelli says that city and the broader Kent County area have been able to develop homes faster than places in metro Detroit.

The Metro’s Sam Corey spoke with Agostinelli at the annual Mackinac Policy Conference to discuss how his group is trying to build homes quickly in an environment that often moves slow. 

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support the podcasts you love.

One-of-a-kind podcasts from WDET bring you engaging conversations, news you need to know and stories you love to hear. Keep the conversations coming. Please make a gift today.

More stories from The Metro

The post The Metro: Why homes are built more quickly in West Michigan — and what the rest of the state can learn appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

Before yesterdayWDET 101.9 FM

The Metro: ‘When the economy catches a cold, Detroit gets pneumonia’

By: Sam Corey
10 June 2026 at 20:19

Affordability is the buzzword of the moment — you can watch it climb in how often people google the word itself. But the harder measure is what it actually costs to live: the prices we’re all paying for gas and groceries.

Nearly half of Americans — 49% — don’t have the resources to cover their essential expenses, according to the Urban Institute, and gas prices alone are up about $1 per gallon since late February. More people are going hungry now than at the height of the pandemic. And in Detroit, where many residents were already struggling with food insecurity, that squeeze lands even harder.

“When the economy catches a cold, Detroit gets pneumonia,” said Cass Tretyak, an outreach navigator at Community and Home Supports in Detroit.

She joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to unpack how economic instability keeps failing people living in poverty — and to describe the daily reality of helping her clients find food, shelter, and benefits, at a moment when new federal rules are making public assistance harder to get.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support the podcasts you love.

One-of-a-kind podcasts from WDET bring you engaging conversations, news you need to know and stories you love to hear. Keep the conversations coming. Please make a gift today.

More stories from The Metro

The post The Metro: ‘When the economy catches a cold, Detroit gets pneumonia’ appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

The Metro: Detroit keeps rewriting its rental safety law. Landlords keep ignoring it

9 June 2026 at 20:29

For four decades, Detroit has had the same law on the books: a landlord can’t rent you a home until the city has inspected it and proven it is safe to live in. But almost nobody follows it. Today, roughly one in seven rentals actually meets that bar. The city rewrote the law in 2017 and again in 2024 to raise that number, yet it has barely moved.

Detroit is a sharp version of a problem you will find in many cities built on old, cheap housing. The law says, fix the place up, but the math says, don’t even bother. In other words, it can cost more to bring an old house up to code than the rent will ever pay back. 

Here’s what that looks like in one house, near the Bagley neighborhood: Windows nailed shut, no heat on the second floor, sewage backing up into the basement. 

Senior reporter Aaron Mondry at Outlier Media has uncovered these findings and reported on that family in the Bagley neighborhood. He joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss how the law is failing renters and landlords.

Later in the hour: Mondry has also reported on Detroit’s Right to Counsel program — the free lawyers who help tenants fight eviction, now facing a funding cliff. Chief Judge William McConico of the 36th District Court joins us to speak on what his courtroom would lose if that money runs dry.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and stream on-demand. Never miss an episode — subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support the podcasts you love.

One-of-a-kind podcasts from WDET bring you engaging conversations, news you need to know and stories you love to hear. Keep the conversations coming. Please make a gift today.

More stories from The Metro

The post The Metro: Detroit keeps rewriting its rental safety law. Landlords keep ignoring it appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

Detroit Evening Report: Creative learning space wins Comerica Hatch grant

15 May 2026 at 20:39

A creative new learning space is coming to Detroit’s District 5. The name of the space is Kraftologie and it is a place for inclusive, hands-on crafting.

Owner Trice Clark is able to bring her vision to life because of a $100,000 grant from the Comerica Hatch Detroit contest by Tech Town. Hatch Detroit is an organization that supports small businesses and encourages residents to vote on what businesses they want in their neighborhood. Clark beat out three other finalists in the May 13 Hatch-Off that followed weeks of public voting and live pitches from the four finalists. More than 30,000 votes were cast in this year’s competition. 

This contest has been going on for more than 15 years and past winners included dining restaurant Baobab Fare, Sister Pie and Batch Brewing Company. For more information go to hatchdetroit.com

Additional headlines for Friday, May 15, 2026

Senior housing community ready for residents

The former Lewis College of Business campus was reborn into a senior housing community. The long vacant landmark located on Detroit’s northwest side is now the Dr. Violet T Lewis Village, named after the American businesswoman and educator who founded the school in 1928. This affordable senior housing has 105 units and is for residents 55 and older.  

The project is a mix of historic preservation with new build and will help supply a housing market that’s experiencing a shortage. The village is fully income-restricted, serving households at roughly 30% to 80% of area median income, or about $20,000 to $70,000 per year. Developers say the project is designed to help longtime Detroit residents age in place and expands affordable housing for seniors. 

Sports

MLB

The Detroit Tigers fell to the New York Mets again with the score 4-9. It doesn’t help that the Mets are the last place team in the National League East.  

The Tigers now look to bounce back this weekend against the Toronto Blue Jays with a three game affair at Comerica Park. First pitch for today’s game is at 6:45 p.m.

NBA

And the Pistons face elimination in Game 6 of their series against the Cleveland Caviliers. The hometown heroes will potentially have to face Donovan Mitchell and James Harden without sharpshooter guard Duncan Robinson due to lower back soreness. 

Game 6 in Rocket Arena will be one to watch. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m.

Soccer

Detroit City FC face off against Forward Madision FC as part of the USL Cup. The game starts tomorrow at 6 p.m.

NFL

Detroit Lions defensive end Myles Adams is showing up to the Salvation Army’s upcoming sports pop-up event at the Rochester Hills thrift store.

The one-day-only pop-up will showcase hand-selected sports inventory like jerseys, athletic apparel and Detroit fan gear all at thrift store prices. 

Adams spent the majority of the 2025 season on the team’s practice squad and was resigned this offseason because of the positive impression he left on Head coach Dan Campbell’s practice squad.  

‘Martin’ tour

And the Distinctively Detroit Tour is bringing you 90s sitcom nostalgia with Wazzup, Detroit! If you are a fan of the show Martin and the show’s Detroit’s ties, this is for you!

The tour will start at the William V. Banks Broadcast Museum where the star character Martin stepped into the world of broadcasting. The museum is the former WGPR building. Then the tour will go to Martin’s former apartment at the Garden Court Apartments. For more information go to distinctivelydetroit.com. This is all going down tomorrow May 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support local journalism.

WDET strives to cover what’s happening in your community. As a public media institution, we maintain our ability to explore the music and culture of our region through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

The post Detroit Evening Report: Creative learning space wins Comerica Hatch grant appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

Crossing the Lines: Highland Park wants to build the ‘missing middle’ to address housing shortage

9 May 2026 at 16:16

At its peak, the city of Highland Park was described as a model city with more than 60,000 residents and the housing stock to hold it. Today, the population is less than 9,000 and neighborhoods are plagued with blighted and abandoned properties.

But city officials see an opportunity to rebuild the housing stock and population. Carlton Clyburn is the Director of Community and Economic Development in Highland Park. He spoke with WDET’s Bre’Anna Tinsley as part of our Crossing the Lines – Highland Park series.  Clyburn says the city’s rebirth will start with building what he calls “the missing middle.”

Listen: Highland Park wants to build the ‘missing middle’ to address housing shortage

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Carlton Clyburn: So, the missing middle are your duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes. What that does… it brings more families in, right? But also, it helps with development costs. So, if you got a 2, 000 square foot home single family, it’s going to cost you the same as a 2,000 square foot duplex. The difference is you can get double rent or double the cost for your return on sale if it’s a duplex.  And it fits, it matches some of the people that’s living out of wanting to get out of like apartment living, or looking to start a family those kind of things. So we’re really looking to fill in that missing middle gap.

Bre’Anna Tinsley: Okay, and so you said you just updated the master plan—

CC:  No, we just created our economic development strategy. We’re in process. We were going to do some updates to our master plan, because we need to do some things with our zoning. And the new requirement from the state is to do a housing assessment.

I mean, you could kind of look and as we’re planning out the city, we got a couple areas where  we’re looking at all market, single family, right? But we have a lot of areas where we can build out, and that’s what we’ll be looking at that missing middle.

BT:  I want to talk about the water bill situation that has been like a big thing in Highland Park—and correct me if I’m wrong, if I get any of these numbers and figures wrong. But it started with a $54 million debt correct?

CC: Made up. Made up debt.

BT:  And then the state, and then the state came in and provided, I think, about $30 million to help rebuild the infrastructure, which brought some of that debt down. Is that correct?

CC:  So we have been overcharged by GLWA for years, since they started. They didn’t want to abide by us. So, they said, “no, we want to charge you more.” Part of that agreement was us putting meters in the ground. Okay? We have put meters in the ground, and we’ve already found a $1.5 million reduction. So, they’re still overcharging us.

The rate that Highland Park pays is comparable to what Wayne County pays, and that’s 43 communities, you see. So we’re being greatly overcharged, but by us putting these meters down, by us providing the data, somethings got to give now. I mean, we told y’all we was being overcharged. Y’all owe us some money. We need relief.

Because you’re right. That’s another thing that will keep the developers away. So you know, the timing is everything, because that gives you know, that gave us opportunity to start working on our plan, our economic development strategy, updates to the master plan, and while the water folks are battling that water deal, then we can put these plans into action.

BT:  What about what residents are doing to rehab their own homes? Are there any resources available to them? Is the city looking to provide any resources to them?

CC:  So right now we do have ongoing grants, like through the HOME program and some of the other programs, but… they’re more so for [ages] 60 and over. So, I’m looking for more monies for not 60 and over, right? Because we do have families in need for home repair.

And, you know, the developers I talked to about moving forward, or, “Hey, we built this block out, and it’s a few homes we got to find money for, you know, rehab for them as well.”  Maybe not so much interior, but at least exterior, because the last thing we want is somebody you know to come in and build this neighborhood up and leave three or four houses looking like they look when we could pull money like a community benefits. I mean, if you’re pulling money out, give them, give them four houses, $5,000 a piece. Or, send your contractors over there to see, you know, what could be done within a scope to bring them up as well. So, I’m conscious of it. 

BT: You might have mentioned it earlier, at the beginning of the conversation, but knocking down homes, there’s a lot of blighted properties. Where’s the city at with demoing more of the dilapidated buildings?

CC:  We have $5 million worth of demolition happening, right? And that’s pretty much going to take our inventory out the state. Most of their properties are demoed. The county, most of them are demoed. They’re finishing up some more demo. The issue are the privately owned blighted properties that we do have nuisance abatement orders on. We are looking to, you know, hold negligent property owners accountable. It’s just a little bit longer process.

Highland Towers

BT:  Highland Towers is coming down soon. Is there any plans to put, like, more housing there? Or what do you know, what the city is looking at?

CC: I would look so that’s something I’m talking to the county about, because we did have to transfer ownership. Oh, and Highland Towers was a privately owned property that we took through our nuisance abatement ordinance, and the county has money, so we transferred it to the county to knock down. So they’ll be knocking it down, and we’ll work with them on [a request for proposal] ​or what kind of development we want to see. But we probably want to see, you know, residential, retail, mixed use, something similar, just something creative like this, going up and down Woodward, and what’s in Brush Park.

You know, Brush Park is what I’m really a fan of, because it has a lot of the old bones. But you got this new stuff, you got the old stuff. That’s a good mix. And, when I saw what was going on in Brush Park years ago, I’m like, this is, this is what we can do in Highland Park.

BT: You mentioned the housing shortage, homelessness, do you think is that enough to drive people to Highland Park when the homes are available?

CC: I believe so. Yes. Because, like I say, with the Greenway, us being on Woodward, Davidson, 75, the Lodge, logistically, it makes sense. You got everything, what, three, four miles. You got all the field, all the sports teams right up the street. It is, logistically speaking, good luck.

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Crossing the Lines: Highland Park resident says smart planning can reduce poverty

28 April 2026 at 12:18

Highland Park is a small city that once had a relatively large population for its size. At the height of Detroit’s automotive boom, more than 50,000 people lived within Highland Park’s 2.9 square miles. Today, the population is less than 9,000.

WDET’s Crossing the Lines series features conversations with and stories about Highland Park’s people, culture, and history.

Detroit Public Radio’s Citizen Vox project gives residents a chance to express how they feel about their communities and the issues that matter to them.

WDET’s Pat Batcheller spoke with Highland Park resident Ken Bates at a coffee shop on Woodward Ave. on April 10, 2026.

Listen: Highland Park resident says smart planning can reduce poverty

Bates was born in Detroit but moved to Highland Park with his wife more than 25 years ago. They bought a Craftsman-style bungalow in a historic district of the city. Voters elected Bates to the city council in 2018, where he served until 2022. He chairs the board of an energy nonprofit called Soulardarity. Its mission includes installing solar-powered streetlights in Highland Park’s neighborhoods.

Bates shares his thoughts on housing, poverty, community pride, and development.

Ken Bates: We know that there’s a housing crisis, a housing shortage nationally, affordable housing. Highland Park has an abundance of land that is underutilized, that really could be put forth in terms of development. So, we could look at land trusts. We could look at affordable housing, low-income housing, market rate housing, duplexes to grow the population because that’s what we have in abundance.

Manufacturing? I doubt that will ever come back to the extent that Henry Ford and Chrysler and some of the other manufacturers had here. That’s a bygone era.

And so, we have to look into the future as to what will help Highland Park become sustainable. What kind of industries should we count on?

You have to get education on board. You have to get private development. You have to get your government funding all in order, and you have to have a plan and a vision and the expertise in order to do it.

If not, you’re just maintaining the status quo. And year after year, you’re just one disaster away from some financial calamity, whether it be a natural disaster or something like the Great Lakes Water Authority suing us for $19 million and threatening to put it on our tax rolls.

Pat Batcheller: What do you like about being in Highland Park?

KB: Highland Park is centrally located. It’s convenient. There’s a sense of—like with my block, I never expected it to be so diverse. And yet you’ve got immigrants, you’ve got people of different faiths. You’ve got people who are ascribed to different lifestyles. I mean, it just it goes on and on, different political beliefs, and we all live together in the same community, and we’re able to communicate and talk and look out after each other.”

PB: From the conversations I’ve had with you and some of the other folks I’ve talked to, it isn’t really the borders that define Highland Park, it’s the people. Would you agree with that?

KB: Well, yeah, I would say the people do define Highland Park because, because again, they’ve been here. Most have been here quite a long time. And even if you travel outside of Highland Park and talk to people that formerly lived here, many people will tell you, ‘Yeah, my grandparents lived here.’ They remember it as a great city. They’ve had fond memories.

The historical district is obviously something that has gained attention. People are looking at those homes and, if they have the means to renovate them, are coming in and deciding, “well, let’s renovate this home.” Because you can’t rebuild those anywhere for anything that I would consider reasonable.

Highland Park has just had its own identity for a long, long time. And so, I can’t see that changing because it would be so difficult to incorporate us into the Detroit culture. We’re not Detroit. We’re not Hamtramck. We’re Highland Park.

PB: What’s the most pressing issue facing Highland Park right now?

KB: It’s poverty. You’ve got to figure out how to raise people’s incomes up, so to speak, their standard of living. So, whether it be through employment, homeownership, because poverty impacts everything around us. For example, ALDI is usually out of shopping carts because people abscond with them. If you’re running a business, that’s not helpful. We were fortunate in that Foot Locker moved into the old CVS building because CVS, Rite-Aid, and another drugstore left.

Convincing businesses to come here is a real challenge because the landscape has changed. Brick and mortar stores aren’t necessarily how people are going about retail experiences. You would think that we would have a thrift shop or something of that nature in a community like that. We don’t.

So, trying to look at trends that will allow people to be gainfully employed, increase home ownership, educate their children are things that should be made priority.

The appearance of the city has to change because we have a lot of blight. We had a press conference celebrating the announcement of Highland Towers on Woodward being torn down. We’ve got to have news that is uplifting, that is showing progress now. Yes, the building should be torn down because it’s caught on fire sixteen years ago. But we need to be announcing opportunities for growth projects that will bring about change.

Support local journalism.

WDET strives to cover what’s happening in your community. As a public media institution, we maintain our ability to explore the music and culture of our region through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

The post Crossing the Lines: Highland Park resident says smart planning can reduce poverty appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

Detroit Evening Report: Move Detroit Coalition launches programs to increase population

9 April 2026 at 21:16

The Move Detroit coalition has launched two programs aimed at increasing the city’s population.

The first is the Make Detroit Home program, a grant program offering financial incentives to encourage entrepreneurs to bring their small businesses—and their residence—back to the city.    

The program has $500,000 it can give away in forms of grants and other financial incentives.   

Move Detroit CEO Hillary Doe says they are hoping to target new and returning Detroiters to the city.   

“Then for the kind of returning Detroiters and the new Detroiters, the eligibility there is that your intention is to, you know, bring your residence back home. You know that you want to become a resident of our great city here, and then you can get access to those benefits, including things like up to $1,000 in relocation.”  

The second is the Neighborhood Ambassador Program that seeks to nominate 100 Detroiters to help shape the city’s growth strategy.   

Doe says program’s goal is to influence people to move to the city with stories and experiences shared from current residents.  

“To help share their favorite local haunts, their favorite small business owners. Share stories and really be our storytellers. To share, you know, Detroit story with our city, our region and you know the country.”  

Applications to nominate a resident is open. The 100 ambassadors will be chosen in June.   

Additional headlines for Thursday, April 9, 2026

New strategies to enforce safe housing

Detroit’s laws, health, and building safety departments are increasing enforcement strategies to ensure safe and quality housing for renters.   

The effort is anchored in three coordinated actions, joint inspections between the health and safety departments, initiating court-enforced consent agreements for properties with known persistent issues and placing liens on chronically blighted properties.   

The Building Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED) has identified 60 apartment buildings with ongoing maintenance issues.  

BSEED Director David Bell says the city has reached a turning point. “Apartment buildings in this city where violations pile up, repairs never happen, and families are left in conditions that no one should ever have to tolerate. This has to stop.”  

Bell says the goal is to increase certificates of compliance from 14% to 35% in a year.  

Workshop to tell the stories of Southwest Detroit

The University of Michigan’s School of Social Work’s Engage Project is hosting a workshop called “Detroit Voices Southwest Oral History Project.” The workshop will focus on exploring the power of community storytelling and oral history. 

Participants will learn how to document their communities stories, preserve lived experiences, and use story telling as a way to foster dialogue and collective action.

The event will be held this Saturday, April 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mexicantown Community Development Center at 2835 Bagley in Detroit. Registration is not needed and lunch will be provided.  

Chevrolet Malibu recall

General Motors is recalling more than a quarter-million Chevrolet Malibus to fix their rearview cameras.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the way GM mounted the cameras could expose them to moisture that can weaken the adhesives holding them in place. That can cause distorted or blank images, increasing the risk of a crash.

The automaker says it’s not aware of any crashes or injuries. It will replace the cameras at no charge. 

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Detroit Chief Public Health Officer Ali Abazeed aims to expand citywide health initiatives

9 April 2026 at 19:09

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield recently appointed Ali Abazeed as the city’s new Chief Public Health Officer, saying he would be a part of creating a “health in all policies” approach to government.

“We’re really excited to get up and going and also to continue the good work that the department has done over the years, but also to upgrade the software of what public health can look like in the city of Detroit,” he shares. 

Abazeed previously created and led the city of Dearborn’s health department. He also worked as a public health advisor at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

Past policies shape today’s health issues

He says health is impacted by housing quality and environment. He hopes to work with the department’s staff of 280 people to create better health outcomes for Detroiters.

“The challenges that Detroit faces from a health perspective, those aren’t inevitable…  they’re created by decades, if not centuries of decisions made by man, policies that have been excluding people from opportunities,” he says.

Ali Abazeed previously created and served as the Dearborn Department of Health’s Chief Public Health Officer.

Abazeed says the city focuses on a harm reduction approach by working with all city departments to connect the dots for people who live in the city. He says part of that will include having more health department officials out in the city.

“90% of your life expectancy happens in the communities where you live, learn, work, worship, play…  then it requires us to take that 90% collaborative approach across everything that we do at the city,” he says. 

Abazeed says Detroiters face health burdens like asthma, which he says require a multifaceted response. 

He says everyone is entitled to good health. 

“Understanding who has been disqualified, who has been sort of pushed to the side, and whether that’s… in Washington or Dearborn and now in Detroit, I think the work is relatively the same, even if it does take on a little bit of a different scale,” he says. 

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