
Detroit's next mayor can do these 3 things to support neighborhoods beyond downtown
Detroit stands at a pivotal moment.
Mayor Mike Duggan is preparing to leave office after 11 years at the end of 2025. The city's next leader will inherit not only a revitalizing downtown but also neighborhoods like Belmont, Petosky-Otsego and Van Steuban that are grappling with housing instability and decades of neglect and disinvestment.
My research on housing insecurity, homelessness and urban governance, along with broader scholarship on equitable development, suggests that Detroit's future depends on more than marquee developments like the Michigan Central Station Development. It depends on strengthening neighborhoods from the ground up.
Here are three strategies that could help Detroit's next mayor build a just and resilient city by focusing on transitional neighborhoods:
Stable housing is the foundation of thriving communities.
Yet, housing instability in Detroit is both widespread and deeply entrenched. Before the pandemic, roughly 13% of Detroiters, or about 88,000 people, had been evicted or forced to move within the previous year. Families with children faced the highest risk.
Many Detroiters had little choice but to remain in deteriorating housing, crowd into shared living arrangements or relocate elsewhere because of an estimated shortfall of 24,000 habitable housing units.
While building more housing is essential, preventing displacement requires more than new construction. It also demands policies that preserve affordability and protect tenants. Researchers have found that household stabilization policies, such as legal representation in eviction court, rent control and property tax relief, have the most immediate impact.
In Detroit, addressing the wave of expiring Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, or LIHTC, units remains an urgent priority. When units reach the end of their compliance period in this federal program, typically 15 years, owners are no longer required to maintain affordable rents and can raise prices. This 'conversion to market rate' often results in the loss of affordable housing for low-income residents.
In response to a projected loss of 10,000 units by 2023, Detroit launched the Preservation Partnership that secured affordability commitments for about 4,000 units. However, it remains difficult to determine exactly how many of the at-risk units were ultimately lost, and when, due to reporting lags, inconsistencies and overlapping affordability programs.
Despite the city's efforts, a 2023 analysis found that a substantial affordability gap persists, with many households unable to comfortably afford market-rate housing without spending more than 30% of their income, which is the standard set by the Department of Housing and Urban Development for affordability.
The Michigan State Housing Development Authority continues to support affordable housing through tax credit allocations. However, a growing number of LIHTC properties in areas experiencing redevelopment are reaching the end of their affordability periods, putting them at risk of converting to market rate. National estimates suggest that nearly 350,000 units could lose affordability by 2030 and over 1 million by 2040 without sustained local and regional preservation efforts.
Stabilizing Detroit's housing market means ensuring that those who stayed during the hardest times are not pushed out as reinvestment takes hold. To achieve this, the next mayor could expand rental assistance and support tenant organizing efforts. This is particularly needed in transitional neighborhoods where renters come together to fight unfair evictions, improve housing conditions and push for more stable rents.
Many view Detroit's vast tracks of vacant land, estimated in the hundreds of thousands of parcels, as blight. But they could also be seen as a public asset and a generational opportunity if brought together with the right public strategies.
Land trusts can turn empty lots into valuable neighborhood spaces. A land trust is a nonprofit that holds land for the community and keeps housing affordable over the long term, a key to preventing displacement.
Research also shows that greening strategies can improve community health, cohesion and equity. Cities like Philadelphia and Cleveland have launched urban greening initiatives that transform vacant lots into community gardens, small parks and tree-filled spaces. Research shows that these projects can help stabilize property values and strengthen neighborhoods by reducing blight, encouraging investment and creating safer, more attractive environments.
Detroit has a land bank, a public agency that manages vacant and foreclosed properties. The city has also invested in some green infrastructure. But experts say that these efforts require stronger city leadership, teamwork across departments and real input from residents. These are areas where Detroit still has room to grow.
By collaborating with residents to cocreate a land use vision, the next mayor could prioritize community ownership and ecological restoration instead of speculative redevelopment.
Neighborhood strength is about more than buildings — it's about people.
As the Brookings Institution notes, economic opportunity is key to long-term safety, and investing in youth is a proven violence reduction strategy.
Detroit's neighborhoods have long faced a lack of investment in schools, recreation centers and social services. This leaves families vulnerable and fuels cycles of poverty and criminalization. Under these conditions, young people, especially Black and brown youth, are more likely to be policed, punished and pushed into the criminal justice system.
A 2021 study found that the Detroit Public Schools Community District reported 2% of its students experienced homelessness, despite 16% of households with children reporting recent eviction or forced moves. This gap reveals major service and awareness gaps. And when families fall through those gaps, it's often children who suffer the most.
Addressing these gaps requires investing in mental health services, youth development programs and violence prevention, rather than relying solely on policing or incarceration. These approaches recognize that true public safety comes from access to stable jobs, quality education and supportive services that meet people's health, housing and social needs. Some of the most effective strategies include restorative justice in schools and outreach to older adults and residents experiencing homelessness.
These are not luxuries. They are essential infrastructure for neighborhood vitality.
Detroit is often held up as a cautionary tale of urban decline, or more recently, as a comeback story driven by downtown revitalization. But in my opinion, its true test lies in what comes next: whether the city can translate momentum into equity for the communities that have long been left behind.
The next mayor has the chance to shift the narrative by centering housing justice, reclaiming land for public good and investing in the people who make Detroit a city worth fighting for.
Read more of our stories about Detroit.
This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Deyanira Nevárez Martínez, Michigan State University
Read more:
Detroit's lack of affordable housing pushes families to the edge - and children sometime pay the price
Almost half of evicted women and families in metro Detroit say they were illegally pushed out of their homes
Knocking down abandoned buildings has a lot of benefits for Detroit − but it's costly for cities
Deyanira Nevárez Martínez is a trustee of the Lansing School District Board of Education and is currently a candidate for the Lansing City Council Ward 2.
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The Hill
3 hours ago
- The Hill
Independent candidate emerges as wild card in Michigan governor's race
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is threatening to roil the race to replace Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) as he seeks to boost momentum for his independent campaign. Duggan surprised observers in December when he announced that he would run for governor as an independent instead of as a Democrat, which he had been for his entire life. Critics have argued Duggan's decision is about recognizing his potential struggles to win a Democratic primary and could risk the party's ability to hold on to the office in next year's election. But Duggan is pitching himself as the right candidate to break the mold of the two-party system and touting his early support from members of both parties. 'The support is far beyond anything I could have expected, going to farms in remote areas of the state, going to small towns, going to big cities,' Duggan told The Hill in an interview. 'In Michigan, in particular, people are really fed up with the toxic partisan environment,' he added. Early indicators show Duggan making some inroads. A February poll showed Duggan with a clear above-water net favorability rating, in the positive by 28 points. He also held his own in a hypothetical three-way gubernatorial match-up. A more recent poll from May also showed reasons for optimism for the three-term mayor. Pollsters found Duggan holds positive favorability ratings across the political spectrum, among those identifying as strongly Democratic, strongly Republican and independents. Duggan also received 20 percent or more of the vote in various hypothetical three-way match-ups with the current options that Democrats and Republicans have, denying any candidate a majority of the vote. And he took some support each from the Democratic and Republican candidates. Duggan has said his goal is to reach 40 percent support, the amount he feels he needs to clinch victory. After announcing his campaign, he initially said he would consider not continuing with his campaign if he didn't feel the support was there, but he said he's decided to go forward. 'I never thought I'd be in the 20s in the polling and have endorsements from a major union like the carpenters or 160 African American ministers or some of the police and fire unions,' he said. 'The idea of an independent candidate, people are warming to it. At first, nobody in Michigan had seen this before and weren't sure what to make of it, but there's a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of momentum.' Duggan has recently notched some key endorsements, gaining the support of the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights, which has more than 14,000 members in the state. He also seems to be drawing the attention of some business leaders, reportedly receiving widespread acclaim at a Detroit Regional Chamber convention. Duggan has touted his record as mayor overseeing Detroit, arguing he has the right experience for governor. He became mayor of the state's largest city in 2013 in the aftermath of the city declaring bankruptcy, struggling with high unemployment and crime. But since then, its prospects have turned around considerably. Crime has come down, the city's budgets have been balanced and the population grew for the first time in decades. But Duggan faces some structural barriers that make a successful independent campaign difficult. Voters often express frustration with both parties, which Duggan has tapped into, but other independent candidates who have run on a similar message have not performed as well as they hoped or even expected because of positive polling. A poll at one time showed independent candidate Greg Orman performing better than Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) against Republican Kris Kobach in the state's 2018 gubernatorial race, but Orman only finished with 6.5 percent support. In 2022, longtime Democratic state legislator Betsy Johnson ran as a moderate independent for governor of Oregon but finished with about 8.5 percent support, despite reaching 20 percent in some polls. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel Jr. predicted Duggan's current spot will be his 'high water mark,' arguing his numbers haven't seen significant movement since he launched his campaign. He noted that Duggan's campaign reposted Elon Musk asking his followers if there should be a new party representing Americans in the political middle. 'I think Elon Musk may be the most unpopular figure in America right now, and [Duggan's] going after that because he knows that he can't pull enough votes on the Democratic side,' Hertel told The Hill. He said he is pleased with the main options that Democrats have — Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson — and trusts that whoever wins the primary will have the electoral strength to win. He said Democrats must make clear their record in response to some voters' feelings of frustration with their party and the system overall. 'My job is not to prognosticate, it's to win,' Hertel said about how much of a challenge Duggan's candidacy is for Democrats. 'I'm not spending my time worrying about anything other than doing what makes sense for a Democrat to win Michigan, and that's showing up everywhere and making sure that we have a strong team heading into 2026.' The Hill has reached out to the state GOP for comment. But in one early sign that Democrats are at least taking note of Duggan's support, the Democratic Governors Association launched a digital ad last month alleging corruption from his time as mayor. Duggan denied the allegations, arguing Democrats have widened their platform from hating President Trump and Republicans to hating him as well. Pollster Bernie Porn, the president of Epic MRA, said despite Duggan's current support, he believes the backing he has from Republicans is more potentially vulnerable once GOP attacks go after his Democratic background. He said Democrats may have more of a struggle particularly in southeast Michigan, home to a large group of Democratic voters in Detroit. He said Democrats will likely need to run a negative campaign against him to win back those voters currently open to him. 'If anybody can do it in terms of winning as an independent, [Duggan] probably would be among the likely folks, but independents have not fared well in terms of their prospects of winning a general election,' he said. Duggan points to his track record of defying the odds in the past, winning as a white write-in candidate in a majority-Black city to be first elected mayor in 2013. 'There was a lot of skepticism, and it was a very interesting thing,' he said. 'As I spent time in living rooms and people got to know me, the momentum built. We're certainly seeing the same thing here.'


USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
I first went to jail at 11. Coming home at 32, I entered a different kind of prison.
I first went to jail at 11. Coming home at 32, I entered a different kind of prison. | Opinion This isn't about erasing accountability. This is about recognizing rehabilitation, maturity and the human capacity for change. Show Caption Hide Caption More than 12,000 have had their records expunged as part of Project Clean Slate Project Clean Slate, started in 2016 by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, reached a milestone - and DeShaun is overjoyed to be No. 12,000. Fox - 2 Detroit I spent most of the first half of my life in carceral settings. My first incarceration was at 11 years old. By 17, I was serving what amounted to a juvenile life sentence, followed by 15 consecutive years in prison. When I came home at 32, I stepped into a different kind of prison: one built from stigma, systemic barriers and the persistent shadow of a criminal record. That's why clean slate, expungement and pardon legislation aren't abstract policy ideas to me ‒ they are deeply personal, transformational tools that can open doors otherwise locked shut. These aren't about erasing accountability. They're about recognizing rehabilitation, maturity and the human capacity for change. They're about giving people a real chance to rejoin the communities they never stopped loving. After my release, I refused to be defined by my record. Instead, I became the first formerly incarcerated person ever hired by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Delaware. I helped anchor and launch the state's first federal reentry court, a visionary model that is still operating today and successfully serving Delawareans. I didn't just reenter society ‒ I helped reimagine what reentry could look like. But even with that level of access and success, I still faced unnecessary hurdles that clean slate legislation would have helped eliminate. Momentum for record-clearing legislation is growing Across the country, momentum for record-clearing legislation is growing. In recent months, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed the Expungement Reform Act into law, expanding eligibility for record clearance. Thousands of Marylanders who have stayed out of trouble and paid their dues now have a shot at housing, education and employment that was previously denied to them due to an outdated or irrelevant criminal record. This follows a broader national trend. Twelve states ‒ including Delaware, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Utah ‒ have enacted clean slate laws that automatically seal eligible criminal records after a certain period of time. Opinion: I worked for this office under the DOJ. Funding cuts will make you less safe. These laws increase employment, reduce recidivism and improve public safety. And they do it without requiring the person to navigate complicated and expensive legal processes that often disproportionately exclude the poor and people of color. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, nearly 1 in 3 American adults in the working age population has some type of criminal record, most of them for nonviolent offenses or arrests that never led to a conviction. Yet even decades later, these records can restrict access to housing, employment and education. The collateral consequences can be lifelong. We have a moral imperative to clean slates. We also have a financial one. The Center for Economic and Policy Research estimates that the U.S. economy loses between $78 and $87 billion annually in gross domestic product due to the employment barriers faced by people with criminal records. That's not just a policy failure ‒ it's an economic one. Opinion: PTSD can land veterans in prison. Restoring VA care honors sacrifices and struggles. Clean slate laws create stronger, more stable communities. When people can access jobs and housing, they pay taxes, raise their families and contribute to the fabric of our economy. The data is clear: When you give people a fair chance, most take it and run with it. At the federal level, the introduction of the Weldon Angelos Presidential Pardon Expungements Act is a potential game-changer. Named for a man who was sentenced to 55 years in prison for a first-time nonviolent offense and later pardoned, this bipartisan bill would allow people who have received presidential pardons to petition for record expungement. Currently, a pardon removes penalties but not the stigma. Even after a presidential pardon, individuals still face the barriers tied to their record. This bill would be the first of its kind to create a federal pathway for record expungement, offering real relief and real second chances. We have to close the federal gap We are living through a political moment where tough-on-crime rhetoric is once again on the rise. However, the facts don't support the fear. What we need now is not a return to mass incarceration, but a doubling down on policies that work: Clean slate laws, investment in reentry programs and fair hiring practices. These policies have broad bipartisan support. A recent Clean Slate Initiative survey found that both Democrats and Republicans in many states overwhelmingly back record clearance as a pathway to economic self-sufficiency, family stability and safer communities. I'm proud of what I've accomplished since coming home. I've built businesses, created training pipelines for returning citizens, and helped lead justice reform efforts at the local and national levels. None of that would have been possible without the belief ‒ first in myself, then from others ‒ that I could be more than the worst thing I ever did. Clean slate legislation codifies that belief into law. It says to every person coming home: You are more than your past. You deserve a future. Let's make sure our laws reflect that truth, not just for me, but for the millions who are still locked out of opportunity, even after serving their M. Soliman is the founder of Soliman Consulting LLC and is serving a four-year appointment on the Delaware Workforce Development Board.

Miami Herald
a day ago
- Miami Herald
Detroiters call for Job Corps fund freeze to be lifted
DETROIT - When Michelle Alston's son asked if four of his Job Corps classmates could stay with them because they had nowhere else to go, she didn't hesitate. She learned that students had been sleeping in two cars parked outside of her Detroit home. "Just come in," she recalled telling them. "Just come in." Alston recalled the panic she felt when she learned last week that the Job Corps program was facing a funding halt ordered by the Trump administration. The mother of six sons ages 10 to 29 said it has helped one of them, Mikal Alston, 23, turn his life around. After struggling for a year to get him to enroll, she said Mikal finally joined in January, and has remained drug free. "I need Job Corps to help me with just one," she said. On Monday, Alston joined State Rep. Joe Tate, Pastor Maurice "Pastor Mo" Hardwick, Job Corps students, parents and community members to urge the Trump administration and Congress to reverse a federal funding freeze they say is impacting young people across the state. The roundtable held Monday afternoon at Lip Movement Headquarters on Livernois Avenue brought together concerned residents and advocates who warned that the freeze would deny students access to trade training, housing and support services that are essential for helping young people, particularly those from Black, brown and low-income communities, build stable futures. Tate criticized the action for "breaking families" by freezing Job Corps operations, a program that provides opportunities for young people who might otherwise fall through the cracks. He said Job Corps has helped not only Detroiters but people across the state, including his own brother, who is a program graduate. "It's something that should be unacceptable," he said. "To put a freeze like that and put all these students and families in turmoil." Job Corps, started in 1964, gives free training in trades like construction and health care to over 35,000 students a year. Late last month, the U.S. Labor Department said it would pause many Job Corps centers by June 30 due to budget shortfalls and concerns about the program's effectiveness. According to officials, 217 students were enrolled at the Detroit Job Corps Center on Woodrow Wilson Street when the freeze began. Nineteen were referred to the city for housing assistance. There were 212 students affected at the Grand Rapids center and 147 students impacted in Flint. This includes 120 living in dorms and 60 others waiting to enroll. Tate said the funds for Job Corps have already been approved by Congress, which is why the issue is currently before a district court judge in New York. "So I'm hoping the district court judge in New York may rule that they can't take away funding that's already been appropriated by Congress and signed by the president," he said. Tate said the next step is finding a way to support students who may be displaced from the program. "We know it's a couple of students right now just in the Job Corps campus here in Detroit," he said. "So how do you find ways to support them, help them to build a foundation after the rug has been pulled from under them with stopping these courses? So there's still an opportunity, there's still light at the end of the tunnel, but I think we need to raise this issue up to make sure that people are hearing this and to tell people this is unacceptable." Tiffany Davis enrolled her 16-year-old son, Carleton, in Job Corps to give him a better future. The Detroit teen began training as a cable installer last fall alongside his friend, Camarin Jenkins, 18. But late last week, both were told that federal funding for the program would be cut, leaving their futures uncertain. "I've been watching kids break down by the droves every day," Davis said. "And as a mom, it's hard to see these kids cry. Not just because they have nowhere to go, but because they've formed bonds and enjoy what they're doing. They know they're held accountable, and that their progress is up to them." Tiffany Davis said she chose Job Corps because it offered a safe environment where her son could earn a high school diploma and learn a trade. Since joining the program, she said her son has has gained confidence, built strong friendships and bonded with his teachers. "His confidence is up there," she said. "He has friends - you know. Those are really his brothers. He loves his teachers." Like Alston's experience, Davis said the disruptions have some of the youth concerned about where they will live. She said she's taken in her son's friend Camarin Jenkins into her home as one of her own. Carleton Davis admitted he wasn't doing his best when he arrived at the program, but with the support of his friend Jenkins, things began to improve. He said he lost weight and that the program has helped him feel more confident about his job prospects. He said he hopes he can continue to earn his high school diploma through the program. "I felt like it was a good experience for me in a place I could be more open," he said. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.