In Michigan, we have many needs: higher-paying jobs, better educational outcomes, and more public transit. Above all, we need more people. 

A lot is at stake. Even if your neighborhood feels bustling, when Michigan’s population stops growing, the state actually shrinks in all the ways that matter. Since 1970, we’ve lost a seat in Congress after every census, and those same population counts decide how hundreds of billions in federal funding are divided. That means less money for roads, water systems, housing, and more. As baby boomers retire, our workforce is shrinking, and Michigan has lost 93,000 workers just since last spring. Fewer people here means less political power, fewer resources, and a smaller tax base to pay the bills.

Michigan’s leaders agree — we need to attract more people to our state. Yet one central question remains: how do we make it happen, and who is responsible for leading the way? Some are trying to answer that question. The state of Michigan has a growth office. The City of Detroit has an initiative to grow its population. 

Jeff Donofrio is a leader in the population growth space. He’s the president and chief executive officer of Business Leaders For Michigan. He’s written about this topic in several reports, and he’s worked for the City of Detroit and the State of Michigan to resolve the problem.

He believes we need to reform teaching.“It’s about making sure that [students are] engaged and can do stuff besides passing a standardized test,” says Donofrio.

He joined host Robyn Vincent on The Metro to explore how government culture needs to change to build more housing, create better regional transit, and to ultimately attract more people to the state.

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.

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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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