Dan and Jennifer Gilbert on Thursday announced plans to donate $500 million to invest in neighborhoods across the city, starting with $15 million to pay down the back property taxes of as many as 20,000 Detroiters who could face tax foreclosure.
Detroit Free Press
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Kresge, credit union offer rent assistance as Detroit nonprofit waits for federal aid
A philanthropic organization is working with a credit union to front millions of dollars to a Detroit housing agency as it waits for the Legislature and governor to agree on how to administer emergency COVID-19 federal aid, including hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked to help renters pay back rent and avoid eviction.
Posted inPolitical and Public Policy Information
Task force report: These steps could help lift Michiganders out of poverty
Children need saving accounts, incarcerated people should have more apprenticeship opportunities and the state should offer families facing temporary financial woes lump-sum cash assistance.
Posted inPolitical and Public Policy Information
Wayne County to resume foreclosure process this year, offers new assistance program
The Wayne County Treasurer’s Office is offering new ways to pay down back tax debt, and expects to resume the tax foreclosure process this year.
Posted inCivic and Community Information
Program to help Michigan renters avoid eviction on hold until Legislature approves funding
Michigan renters and landlords who are eligible for federal rental assistance are waiting for the state Legislature to allocate federal dollars intended to help Michiganders stay in their homes.
Posted inPolitical and Public Policy Information
Detroit extends timeline to appeal property tax assessment. Here’s what to know.
Detroiters can begin initiating the process to appeal their property tax values starting Feb. 1. Here’s what that means for homeowners.
Posted inPolitical and Public Policy Information
Housing advocates call on Gov. Whitmer, Detroit leaders to repay overtaxed homeowners
Housing advocates on Wednesday evening called on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and local leaders to investigate inflated property taxes in Detroit and provide options for over-assessed homeowners to get a refund.
Posted inEmergencies and Risks (COVID-19), Youth & Kids in Coronavirus
Report: Michigan’s food insecurity problem only got worse during COVID-19 pandemic
An advisory group to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer tasked with identifying the causes and scope of food insecurity in Michigan — particularly as the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated the problem — made several recommendations intended to address the issue.
Posted inHealth and Welfare
Instacart, Aldi extend SNAP benefits program to Michigan, offer free delivery
Michigan SNAP recipients can now use their benefits to purchase groceries online and have them delivered to their home or pick them up without a fee for their first three orders by mid-March, through a partnership between Aldi chain stores and online grocery platform Instacart.
Posted inCivic and Community Information, Explainers
Deadlines for COVID-19 help loom: Congress makes progress. How to get help
Several protections to cushion the economic blow of the pandemic are expected to end this month. Congress announced progress Wednesday.