Detroit mayor announces new proposal to expedite affordable housing construction
(CBS DETROIT) - Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced a new proposal that would accelerate the construction of affordable housing in the city.
The press conference will be held at The Ribbon, at 16530 E. Warren Ave., which is a development site that would have been open already if there hadn't been financing delays, according to a release from the city.
The mayor will be joined by Julie Schneider, the director of the Housing & Revitalization Department, Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield, councilmembers Durhal, Waters and Young, Rod Hardamon, a developer and investor, Eddie Carrington, an investor, Linda Smith of U-SNAP-BAC and Financial Empowerment Manager Chelsea Neblett.
This comes after the city released its five-year plan to create affordable housing and combat homelessness in April.
"No Detroiter should go to sleep at night without a roof over their head and a safe, quality place to call home," Schneider said at the time of the announcement. "With this plan, we commit to collaborating with our partners to improve programs so that residents who enter the homelessness system find services that respect their dignity, quickly connect them to housing stability, and put them on a path to fulfill their household goals."
The areas that the city will focus on according to this plan include expanding safe and affordable housing, improving shelter facilities, reducing unsheltered homelessness, increasing staffing and evaluating training and compensation for staff at homelessness service organizations, increasing federal, state and local funding, improving the intake system that connects people to shelters and housing.
According to the city, data shows that about 6,221 people experienced homelessness in Detroit throughout 2022.
In April, Duggan also announced that more than $1 billion has been invested in affordable housing over the last five years and said that another billion-dollar investment would be necessary to prevent homelessness from increasing.
Later in the evening Tuesday, after the affordable housing announcement, Duggan will present details on the proposal at his District 3 charter-mandated community meeting. This meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at 2371 E. 7 Mile Road.