Detroiters can’t fix up their houses without insurance — but can’t get insurance until repairs are made
“We’re just kind of stuck,’’ said one Detroiter who keeps getting denied homeowners insurance.
Michigan Fashion Week, healing dances and sneaker parties: What’s happening in Detroit this weekend
Plus, learn about Great Blue Herons or listen to a talk about Black baseball stars.
🪙 Penny for your (budget) thoughts?
Residents have one final chance Monday to comment during budget hearings. Plus, plan your week with the latest Get Busy.
Springtime is for healing: Get involved in Detroit
Plus, the summer jobs keep rolling. MACC Development is hiring for several positions, including summer camp leaders and teachers.
Detroit plans to double spending on home repair. It won’t come close to meeting the need
Georgia Taylor’s porch is falling apart, causing her to fall three times. Help has yet to arrive.
After Trump’s reelection, Livonia police ramped up immigration arrests. Reports stopped after public blowback
Residents and elected officials demanded answers after U.S. Border Patrol bragged that arrests led to deportations.
How to welcome spring in Detroit: Neighborhoods Day, wellness events and Women You Oughta Know
Step into growth and wellness with breathing workshops, nature photography classes and more.
FOIA and find out! Get involved in Detroit
Plus, high school and college students, young artists, and “emerging” curators have paid opportunities this summer.
‘The model no longer works:’ Crypto landlord’s Detroit enterprise is crumbling
The company has stopped weekly payouts to investors and owes the city millions of dollars.
Summer internship alert: Outlier Media is hiring a TXT OUTLIER intern
College students can apply to intern in our Detroit newsroom to deliver critical information to Detroiters.
FOIA 101: A Detroiter’s guide to the Freedom of Information Act
Virtually everyone has the right to public records. Here’s how to get them.
How to preapply for home repair help in Detroit
Check if you’re eligible, then add your name to the list through March 22.
Our latest project
We’re informing Detroiters how to claim millions from Wayne County, which foreclosed on their homes — then auctioned the properties for a profit. Read more →
Longtime judge recuses herself from contentious Detroit foreclosure case
Wayne County’s process may have been too opaque for a sitting judge.
Wayne County is ‘no help at all’ to Detroiters claiming auction profits
Only about 7% of eligible former homeowners have successfully filed claims, with the deadline just days away.
These former Detroit homeowners stand to get $5.8M, a fraction of what they lost to foreclosure
We helped Detroiters claim tax auction profits, but they won’t be made whole.
This Florida man promises to pay Detroit homeowners’ property taxes. All he wants is your home
Residents say his company, MJ Real Estate Solves, is “sleazy” and exploits desperate Detroiters who are already suffering financially.
Detroiters are reclaiming money from past tax foreclosures. This company wants a cut
“I think they’re taking advantage of people and rushing them to make these quick decisions.”
‘Tangled titles’ could cost these Detroiters thousands
Many former homeowners owed windfalls are deceased — and it’s not clear Wayne County will pay claims filed by their heirs.
Detroit homeowners have until March 31 to pay 2023 taxes. Here are your options
Here’s what property owners need to know to avoid foreclosure.
Sheffield prioritizes bus driver pay, homelessness services, youth programs in $1.55B spending plan
It’s the first time in over a decade that a new mayor has set the city’s spending priorities.
Wayne County could’ve foreclosed on these 8K properties. Officials won’t say why it hasn’t
The treasurer’s office said it has “no set policy” for letting properties with back taxes avoid foreclosure.
In search of a stage: Detroit artists want more independent venues in the city
“Black people deserve to go out and have a good time to hear music that they want to hear.”
Meet Dasha Crawley, this month’s featured Documenter
Before Detroit Documenters, Dasha felt uninformed about civic issues. Now, she gets paid to learn and share about local government.
Reimagining the gallery
Black artists and curators have created neighborhood spaces for truth and expression. To stay open, they’re resorting to creative solutions.
Detroit’s home repair loan program approved few applicants. Here’s what didn’t work — and what has in other cities
Sheffield promised to focus on home repair. Will she lean on banks to do more?
Detroit has made headway on home repair. It’s still a $1B problem
Available funding doesn’t come close to meeting repair needs. Homeowners say they don’t have time to wait.
Longtime Detroiters have held onto their homes for decades. Will they get help with repairs before it’s too late?
Some houses need plumbing, windows, roofs and insulation. The question isn’t whether homes in this neighborhood get fixed up, but who can afford to…
Accountability Spotlight
We shine a light on issues where better information alone can’t make a difference and where a lack of accountability causes harm to Detroiters. Read more →
‘Get them outta here’: Bodycam footage shows how police in metro Detroit cooperate with federal immigration agents
An ACLU attorney questioned the legality of the more than hour-long stop.
Detroit police commissioners’ attendance is improving — but four members missed more than a third of meetings last year
Detroit’s Board of Police Commissioners still had attendance issues — but it’s getting better.
How a suburban police officer upended a Detroit teen’s life
The police officer made one call. It turned a traffic stop into a nightmare.
As the Detroit Pistons sought millions in tax breaks, team insiders gave thousands to Sheffield’s mayoral bid
Pistons exec Arn Tellem and his family donated over $43,000. Last month, he was appointed to Sheffield’s transition team.
This Detroit teen dreams of attending college. Immigration agents arrested her at gunpoint
Agents were looking for someone else when they arrested two students, both of whom had applied for asylum.
How to Detroit
A Detroiter’s guide to the Open Meetings Act
Open meetings ensure that the public can participate in local government.
Detroiters have questions about new zoning proposals. Here’s what’s in them
The city needs more housing to keep up with the number of people moving here. Officials think zoning changes could help.
Where to find overnight shelters in Detroit during extreme cold
Cold weather emergencies are “when the temperature is 20 degrees or lower, and if people sleep outside, they will die.”
Applications are open for Detroit’s smaller, more expensive water bill assistance program. Only 5,000 will get in
“Detroiters need a program that provides real relief, not one that adds more barriers.”
Where to find free, low-cost computers in Detroit
Detroit parents: Here’s where to get free or low-cost laptops and tech support.
We went looking for the cheapest eggs in Detroit. Here’s what we found
Surveyors were “shocked” by the high quality of some Detroit grocery stores.
How do Detroiters decide where to grocery shop?
In Detroit, food shopping is deeply intertwined with the city’s history of racial oppression.
What we’re about
The people who work at and with Outlier Media put service at the center of our work to fill information, accountability and connection gaps in Detroit.
Learn more →