Michigan set an affordability goal for utility bills. For some Detroiters, help can’t come soon enough
Regulators are rethinking what energy assistance should look like. Meanwhile, residents are struggling with high bills and shut-offs.
📈 How high is your DTE bill?
Michigan is looking into an energy affordability program that would help with utility assistance. Plus, meet Angela, our new intern!
Meet Angela Martinez, Outlier Media’s new TXT OUTLIER intern
“I want to see somebody like myself who looks like me on the news as well,” she said.
Have questions about the 2026 elections? We can help
It feels like it’s always election season in Michigan. This year is no exception.
Rest is revolution: Get involved in Detroit
Care for your home and community this Juneteenth, and see an all-new list of job openings.
Go for a walk and get involved in Detroit
Also: Tune up your bike at Rouge Park, and join a Slow Roll bike ride by the river.
Detroiter says ICE agents broke her knee, disputing agency’s account
Yerlys Moreno López said ICE agents broke her knee, which required emergency surgery.
Detroit’s right to counsel program will soon run out of money. Experts say it’s saved the city millions
A new report says it generated $3.74 in benefits to the City of Detroit for every dollar spent.
Looking to celebrate Pride Month in Detroit? Here are some local events to check out
Head to one of Detroit’s biggest Pride festivals or check a few smaller events to celebrate all things LGBTQ+.
Editor’s Picks
A migrant needed surgery at DMC after an ICE encounter. The hospital won’t talk to her husband
The hospital refuses to give a migrant’s family updates about her condition or whereabouts after a violent encounter with ICE.
Detroit eased rental inspection rules to improve housing safety. It hasn’t worked
“The regulatory environment has become overly burdensome, unpredictable, and costly,” one landlord said.
How women DJs are moving Detroit dance and hip-hop culture forward
“The music that we were playing, you couldn’t hear on the radio. So, that elevated us to a whole ’nother status.”
Detroiters are entitled to tax foreclosure profits. Wayne County is cutting smaller checks than some expected
The courts allowed Detroiters to reclaim funds from past tax foreclosures. Will Wayne County ‘force them into accepting less’?
What do Detroit teenagers want to do this summer? Flirt, meet other teens
Teens “want to have something to do besides stay in the house,” 16-year-old Ortez Matthews said.
Detroit made buses free for students, but getting to and from school is still hard
City says simple tweaks to bus schedules could mean shorter waits for students.
The tax shock hitting Detroit homebuyers
One real estate agent called the situation “a ticking time bomb that’s finally going off.”
Meet Lavonia Perryman, this month’s featured Documenter
Detroit’s eldest Documenter is a seasoned media professional who wants to stay connected.
Meet Nick Kramer, this month’s featured Detroit Documenter
Covering local public meetings satisfied his civic curiosity. He never imagined he’d be featured as a Detroit Documenter.
Detroit has an office for immigrants. Advocates say it needs to do more
A decade after its creation, it has a small staff and flat funding as migrants live under threat of deportation.
Crypto real estate company cedes control of portfolio to third party
A special fiduciary will oversee RealT’s Detroit portfolio, with the power to renovate, sell or demolish property.
How will Sheffield prioritize home repair? Anything less than $250 million is ‘laughable’
Detroiters are increasingly worried their homes will fall apart because they can’t afford critical repairs to roofs, plumbing and foundations.
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 →
Detroit job training agency faces deficit, layoffs, leadership shakeup
As federal aid expired, “incompetence” put the city’s workforce development system under financial pressure.
Streetlights, bus rides and AI: Here’s what stood out to us from Detroit’s $1.55B budget hearings
The city has less to spend, but it’s choosing to put more into police — almost $1 out of every $3.
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.
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.
‘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.
How to Detroit
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.
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.
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.
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