Report Recommends $850 Million to Eradicate Detroit's Blight

The Detroit Blight Removal Task Force released its highly anticipated "Every neighborhood has a future...And it doesn't include blight" report today.

1 minute read

May 27, 2014, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Khalil AlHajal shares news of the report released this morning by the Detroit Blight Removal Task Force, which sets an aggressive, five-year agenda for reducing blight in the city. "Eradicating neighborhood blight would cost about $850 million, but could be accomplished within five years with an aggressive approach," writes AlHajal. Moreover, "[addressing] larger-scale industrial sites would cost another $500 million to $1 billion."

On the scale of the problem to be addressed by the proposed plan: "After an exhaustive survey that explored 377,602 properties across the entire city, the task force counted 78,506 structures and 6,135 vacant lots in need of intervention. That includes 40,077 blighted structures and another 38,429 abandoned properties that appear on their way to becoming a nuisance."

As for a way forward, the report "recommends demolition and rehabilitation in geographically concentrated efforts, 'rather than the scattered, sometimes random approach of the past.'"

Tuesday, May 27, 2014 in MLive

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Rendering of Penrose Roundabout in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Is Expanding its Network of Roundabouts

Roundabouts are widely shown to decrease traffic speed, reduce congestion, and improve efficiency.

15 minutes ago - WHYY

Green painted bike lane with striped buffer between car lane and curb parking lane.

Why Bike Lanes Are Good: An Explainer for the US Transportation Secretary

Sean Duffy says there’s no evidence that bike lanes have benefits. Streetsblog — and federal agencies’ own data — beg to differ.

2 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Yellow electric school bus with preteen students exiting.

California Invests Additional $5M in Electric School Buses

The state wants to electrify all of its school bus fleets by 2035.

April 25 - Associated Press