For a long time, one of Detroit’s biggest challenges was blight. Generational disinvestment and residential flight left about 80,000 homes blighted by 2014. Since then, the city has removed or rehabbed thousands of properties. But blight and disinvestment have given way to a different problem: housing speculation.

To make quick profits, speculators, often from outside Detroit, buy homes cheaply, rent them out, and invest little to nothing in upkeep.

The City of Detroit once filed suit against several major speculators but dropped the cases more than a year ago, leaving many to wonder what happened and what harm remains. Will the city resume efforts to hold them accountable?

Today on The Metro, Aaron Mondry, senior reporter at Outlier Media, explores how rent-to-own housing agreements can be exploitative. These deals often lack legal protections and leave buyers vulnerable to eviction if payments are missed.

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Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has announced an effort to reduce the regulatory process for opening small businesses in the city. 

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During a late morning news conference on Wednesday, Duggan said new restaurants have to meet building codes, fire codes and health codes. On top of that, there’s a separate city license that Duggan says is redundant.

He recalled a conversation he had with the city’s chief operating officer:

“’Do you know that to open a restaurant, you have to pass the building code, you gotta pass the fire code and you gotta pass the health department code?’ I said ‘Yes. I knew all that.’ He says, ‘On top of that, you need a city of Detroit license.’ The city of Detroit license doesn’t really add anything once you’re up to code on the building, the fire and the health department.  And we have a whole separate set of inspections at a whole different time of year, with a whole different set of fees. He says, ‘Would you be willing to consider forgetting the city of Detroit business license for a restaurant? It’s a duplicate system.’”

The proposed ordinance would eliminate that additional license for restaurants. It also would extend the licensing process from one year to two years. 

The city would also set up a new group of staffers to help walk entrepreneurs through the licensing process. City Council must still approve the process changes, but officials say those changes should be in place by the end of this year. 

Other headlines for Wednesday, May 21, 2025:

• Organizations supporting underrepresented small businesses and entrepreneurs in Michigan have received nearly $9 million in grants from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The agency’s “Trusted Connector” grant provides money to groups that work on technical assistance, mentoring and outreach.
• The Michigan Chronicle holds its Pancakes and Politics Breakfast at 7:50 a.m. on Thursday, May 22, at Elevate in downtown Detroit. The topic of discussion is “Cities of Tomorrow – A Blueprint for Progress.” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell will be among the featured speakers.
• Detroit ranks No. 58 out of 100 when it comes to its parks, according to the ParkScore Index. The rankings, compiled by the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, compares park systems in the country’s largest cities.  The city ranked 65th last year.
• The NFL released the Detroit Lions’ pre-season schedule on Tuesday. The team will start the pre-season with a nationally televised game against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, at 8 p.m. on July 31. Other pre-season games for the Lions include the Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans. The Lions first regular-season game takes place in Green Bay on Sept. 7 against the Packers. 

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

New data shows the city of Detroit gained more than 6,800 residents in 2024.

The city’s population now tops 645,000, officials announced earlier this month, which is an approximate increase of about 25,000 people over the last three years.

Ashley Williams Clark,  vice president of Detroit Future City and director of the Center for Equity, Engagement and Research, joined The Metro to talk about what it’ll take to keep people coming to Detroit, and what the expansion means for the city.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

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For the first time in over a decade, Mayor Mike Duggan will not be on the ballot for Detroit mayor.

The longtime Democrat announced in December that he’ll instead be campaigning (as an independent) for Michigan governor — opening up a competitive field of candidates vying to fill his shoes.

That includes former Detroit police Chief James Craig, Detroit Councilmember Fred Durhal, Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield, former nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins and attorney Todd Perkins. 

As mayor, Duggan prioritized ridding the city of blight, revitalizing parks and recreation centers, and decreasing crime with the help of initiatives like community violence intervention programs.

Today on The Metro, BridgeDetroit reporter Malachi Barrett breaks down the Detroit mayoral race and the candidates’ priorities for the city. We also revisit a recent conversation with Detroit Future City CEO Anika Goss about what she believes the city’s new leadership should be prioritize.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.