Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced last week that he will not seek reelection in 2025, ending a 12-year run that saw Detroit exit bankruptcy and begin the climb back to stability.

Anika Goss, CEO of Detroit Future City, joins Created Equal along with journalists John Gallagher and Darren Nichols to discuss what has happened over the last decade of Duggan’s leadership and what awaits the city’s next leader. 

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Goss discussed how Detroit’s rate of Black homeownership has increased to its highest level since the housing crisis and the percentage of vacant land in the city has decreased over Duggan’s mayorship. However, she says there are still large income gaps within Detroit’s middle class, rates of educational attainment continue to decrease, and the city is facing the loss of the Black middle class to the suburbs.   

Gallagher pointed out that although Duggan’s leadership has correlated with an improvement in the city’s economy, there were many local grassroots efforts in place to promote economic recovery prior to Duggan’s first term. Gallagher also discussed how the economic improvements were often focused on Detroit’s downtown and Midtown areas rather than Detroit’s neighborhoods.

Nichols discussed how last year’s NFL Draft in Detroit was a culmination of the good press and excitement Duggan had built around the city. Nichols suggested that some of Duggan’s success could be attributed to his skills as a campaigner who spoke directly to city residents and presented himself as a fresh voice for change. He believes that the next mayor will have to similarly humble themselves and address the whole city. 

Nichols also said he believes housing and poverty rates will be the most pressing issues for the city’s next leader to address.  

“We can build affordable housing, but do those people have the finances to be able to do that? Do they have the credit to be able to do that? We have to keep in mind our realism as to what Detroit’s poverty rate means for affordable housing,” he said. 

Use the media player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Guests: 

• Anika Goss is the CEO at Detroit Future City.
• John Gallagher is a journalist, senior business columnist for the Detroit Free Press, and author of the book, “Reimagining Detroit: Opportunities for Redefining an American City.”
• Darren Nichols is a journalist and contributing columnist at the Detroit Free Press 

Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan will announce whether he will make another run for the city’s top job at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Many observers believe the three-term mayor could launch a bid to replace term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2026, though it’s unclear how much name recognition Duggan has beyond Detroit. 

He is making his announcement to a group of city of Detroit employees. 

Listen to his announcement below. Check back for more updates to this story.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is expected to announce whether he will make another run for the city’s top job this week.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Duggan has helped guide the city as it emerged from the largest-ever municipal bankruptcy in U.S history. And this year, Duggan reached one of his long-sought goals — that Detroit’s population had grown after decades of decline.

Many observers believe the three-term mayor could launch a bid to replace term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2026, though it’s unclear how much name recognition Duggan has beyond Detroit. 

—Reporting by Quinn Klinefelter, WDET

 Other headlines from Monday, Nov. 11, 2024:

• President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportations is causing concern among Michigan’s immigrant communities.
• The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is providing a $1 million grant to help build 60 new units of affordable housing on vacant land in Detroit’ Corktown neighborhood.
• Hamtramck voters approved a $2.7 million non-homestead millage for the Hamtramck Public Schools District.
• Stellantis is laying off 400 workers at a logistics facility in Detroit. The Detroit Free Press reports the automaker notified the affected employees last week. The company also announced plans to eliminate a shift at a Jeep factory in Toledo early next year, cutting more than 1,000 union jobs. Stellantis is under pressure to cut costs due to falling sales and profits. The United Auto Workers criticized the layoffs, accusing corporate leaders of mismanagement. 

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

Tonight on The Detroit Evening Report, we cover decreasing crime in the city of Detroit, Michigan doctors reducing maternal mortality rates and more.

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Crime is down in Detroit

Detroit and federal officials are highlighting the use of American Rescue Plan Act funding in decreasing crime in the city. Mayor Mike Duggan said that investing the money into things like helicopters and freeway cameras have helped reduce drag racing and highway shootings. 

White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden received a tour of Detroit helicopters, scout cars and the Real Time Crime Center on Tuesday. She says she was excited to see Detroit use the ARPA funds in strategic ways. 

“We were really encouraging states and localities and cities to use those dollars for investments to keep people safe,” Tanden said. “And many communities did that, but Detroit has really led the way in effectively using those dollars.” 

Since 2021, Detroit has seen a 30 percent reduction in homicides. 

New program to improve maternal health

A group of Michigan’s top maternal health doctors asked themselves a big question: what’s the best way to reduce the state’s maternal and infant mortality rates? Their answer is a new program that will be open to all pregnant women in Michigan. It’s called SOS Maternity. 

Doctor Sonia Hassan of Wayne State’s maternal-fetal medicine department helped lead the effort. She says the program will provide standardized maternal health interventions across many of Michigan’s top health care providers. But she says it will also tackle other frequent barriers to care like the lack of transportation. 

“(Transportation) is the leading cause of women not able to come to the hospital or to the clinic for their visits. It’s a real struggle for a lot of people. So we will offer that to everyone.” 

Dr. Hassan says each SOS Maternity participant will also get a “patient navigator” to help manage all aspects of their care. 

Rides to the polls

A group of nonpartisan groups are offering discounted and free rides to the polls for residents. This comes after a ban on hiring transportation to polling locations was lifted in October last year.

• Ride share company Lyft is offering 50 percent off one ride to or from the polls with the code VOTE24.
• The Detroit Bus Company is offering free rides on its buses, and with volunteers in their own cars in Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck.
• The SMART bus system will offer free rides all day on Nov. 5.
• The Detroit Almunae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority is also offering free transportation services during the early voting period and on Election Day.

For a complete list of organizations offering rides, visit MichiganVoting.org. 

Detroit poet releases new book

A new book takes traditional nursery rhymes and reinterprets them to address issues affecting black communities. Poems like “One, two buckle my shoe” are reimagined as “One, Two, No Sudden Moves.”

The poems tackle themes of racial violence, activism and social justice. The book, titled “One, Two, No Sudden Moves,” was written by Detroiter Rhonda Greene. A free book launch and exhibition will be held Thursday, Nov. 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the Northwest Gallery of Arts in Detroit. The event will feature a live reading, and a chance to meet the artists who provided illustrations for the book. 

Diwali in Detroit

Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, begins today! The annual festival symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. There are a number of events happening across metro Detroit to celebrate, including a fireworks show in West Bloomfield at the Sri Balaji Temple at 3325 Middlebelt Road at 6:00 pm. 

WDET’s Nargis Rahman contributed to this report.

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

Mayor Mike Duggan named Melia Howard as his new deputy on Wednesday, replacing Todd Bettison — who becomes Detroit’s interim police chief on Nov. 11. 

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Howard  — the second woman to serve as deputy mayor in Detroit’s history — has served as the mayor’s director of community engagement for the past two years. Before that, she worked as a director of special projects and the department of neighborhoods manager for District 5.   

“Melia has been a fierce advocate for residents and absolutely critical in making sure Detroiters have a strong voice at City Hall and in developments proposed in their neighborhoods,” said Duggan in a statement. “Projects like the renovation of Michigan Central and Fisher Body 21, as well as the $3 billion Future of Health development, might not have happened if not for the trust Melia has built in the community and among developers.”

Howard also spearheaded the Saturdays in the D program, which provides Detroit youths and adults on-campus educational activities at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.

According to the city, Howard will continue the Community Violence Intervention (CVI) work that has been led by Bettison.

“As a little girl from the east side, I never thought this was possible and I am truly humbled and honored that Mayor Duggan has trusted me with this enormous opportunity,” she said. “My residents mean so much to me and I will continue to work hard for them.”

Other headlines for Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024:

• A new poll from the Detroit News and WDIV-TV shows just how close the presidential race is in Michigan.
• A soft opening is taking place from 5-9 p.m. Wednesday for the Old Redford Arts Alley in northwest Detroit. It is the first of nine “Arts Alleys” being transformed by the city of Detroit as part of Mayor Duggan’s Blight to Beauty initiative.
• Detroit police are investigating an incident involving Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams related to a weapons violation during a traffic stop, WXYZ reports.
• Gas prices are falling across metro Detroit, with the average price of a gallon of self-serve unleaded iat $3.19 — five cents lower than a week ago.

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