For current info please visit detroitmi.gov
State of the City 2021
Mayor Duggan delivered his 2021 State of the City address virtually on Tuesday, March 9 at the FCA Assembly Plant. Learn more below about how to get connected to City programs and opportunities.
Detroiters Making a Difference
King Yadee
A Detroit-based hip-hop artist and producer, King Yadee decided to drop the mic after seeing the decline in his old neighborhood on Seven Mile and Archdale. As a licensed builder, Yadee used money he earned from music to rehab homes in the west side community. Read more.
Gino Solomon
After serving eight years in prison, Gino Solomon took full advantage of his second chance. In just two years as a City of Detroit employee, he went from boarding up vacant homes to becoming the carpenter foreman for the City’s Alley Cleanup Program. Solomon has purchased three abandoned homes to rehab and help revitalize the community.
Curtis Johnson
A Morehouse College graduate, Curtis Johnson felt it was important to come back home to Detroit and give back to the city that gave so much to him. As a licensed builder and President of Inner City Contracting, Johnson feels that Proposal N, the City of Detroit’s Demolition Program, is a perfect way to contribute. He also takes great pride in his company being transparent and doing right by Detroiters. Fifty years from now, he wants his children and grandchildren to know that he did his part to help take care of the city.
Block Clubs Participating in Alley Clean-Up Program
As trash pick-ups moved to the street in residential neighborhoods years ago, alleys were neglected, which led to mounds of overgrowth and trash. As a result, the City of Detroit launched the Alley Clean-Up Program. Once a block club submits a request and commits to maintain the alley, the City will come out and clean the specified area free of charge. In the first year of the program, 505 alleys were cleared. Read more.
Christopher Samp, Director of the Office of Disability Affairs
Christopher Samp will lead the newly-created Office of Disability Affairs (ODA) within the Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity Department. The ODA will work to ensure equity and inclusion for residents with disabilities and champion the rights and opportunities concerning employment, programs, and services in the city of Detroit. As a Deaf member of the disability community, Samp serves as a board member with the Michigan Deaf Association. Both his passion for advocacy and Bachelor of Science degree in Public Policy will be strong assets as Samp works with the administration to fulfill the office’s mission. Samp recently assisted Mayor Duggan and his team with vaccination expansion for individuals with disabilities. “I am proud to be part of our collaborative efforts in making Detroit the most accessible and inclusive city,” said Samp.