Our Advocacy
Mike Duggan believes that Michigan works best when practical solutions deliver real results for people, no matter where they live. Under Mayor Duggan’s leadership, Detroit showed what’s possible when solutions focus on outcomes.
Duggan believes communities across Michigan need housing solutions that keep residents in their homes while strengthening neighborhoods. Detroit has shown how long-term investments in affordable housing can reduce homelessness and build stability.
Over the past decade under Duggan’s leadership, Detroit invested more than $1 billion in affordable housing and significantly cut homelessness. University of Michigan Poverty Solutions reports Detroit homeowners gained $4.6 billion in home wealth over the same period, proving how smart housing policy benefits families and local economies across the state.
Blight is a challenge in many Michigan communities. Detroit’s progress shows how clear goals and consistent action can turn vacant properties into uplifting community assets.
Since 2014, Detroit removed more than 29,000 vacant houses, sold over 15,000 and rehabilitated 12,000 through the Detroit Land Bank Authority with the goal of eliminating its remaining inventory. Throughout Duggan’s tenure, Detroit invested in more than 160 parks and recreation centers, showing how reinvestment can improve quality of life and neighborhood safety throughout Michigan.
Connecting people to good-paying jobs while attracting new employers is essential to economic growth across Michigan. Detroit’s experience under Duggan’s leadership shows how workforce development, business attraction and small business support can work together to strengthen local economies.
Detroit’s unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest level in more than 33 years. Focused efforts to attract employers and invest in talent have brought thousands of new jobs to the area that can be scaled statewide. Some of that success includes:
These numbers reflect a broader strategy that can be applied across Michigan - aligning employer needs with workforce training, removing barriers to employment and investing in people as communities grow.
Safe communities are critical to economic stability and quality of life. Detroit’s progress under Duggan’s leadership shows how combining strong policing with community-based prevention can deliver measurable results.
Detroit ended 2025 with homicides down 19% from last year’s 60-year low and down 35% since 2023. Non-fatal shootings went down 26% in 2025, cut nearly in half from two years ago. Carjackings dropped 46% in 2025, with an 84% drop since 2015.
Investments in officer pay and hiring and partnerships with community-based violence intervention programs have helped reduce violence - a balanced approach that serves as an example communities across Michigan can use.
Detroit experienced a major revitalization under Duggan’s administration. It’s a success story of how finding new life for existing assets and vacant buildings and leveraging public dollars can unlock private investment and strengthen regional economies.
Duggan’s approach to infrastructure redevelopment included major projects focused on technology, entrepreneurship and healthcare. These projects brought major corporations to the city, improving quality of life for residents and creating good-paying jobs for Detroiters.
The city’s skyline is also changing with a variety of significant new developments, including:
Under Mayor Duggan’s leadership, Detroit moved from bankruptcy to an investment-grade credit rating in less than 10 years. Communities across the state can use these same tools to modernize infrastructure, attract employers and create housing and jobs where they are needed most.
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