(WXYZ) — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan gave his annual State of the City address on Tuesday night at the renovated Michigan Central Station in Corktown.
He highlighted the transformation of the train station, which closed in 1988, and is now being refurbished by Ford Motor Company for a new Detroit campus.
The Mayor also highlighted a low-income apartment building being totally replaced for residents with no rent increase should they choose to stay.
Throughout the address, Duggan focused on the future of Detroit, just 10 years after the city declared bankruptcy.
Our partners the Detroit Documenters with Outlier Media were fact-checking the Mayor's address. You can see some of their fact-checks below.
Duggan claimed Detroit home values have doubled in 2023. City data shows home values have increased 20% on average across the city.
— Detroit Documenters (@DetDocumenters) March 8, 2023
More from the city itself: https://t.co/9a8CCacI0I.
He recently claimed that they have cleared 2000 alleys since 2020. Our fact-checkers have confirmed this claim is true. https://t.co/sozurKVYAl
— Detroit Documenters (@DetDocumenters) March 8, 2023
Mayor Duggan claimed that Detroit rehabbed more houses than it demolished in 2022. This is for 2022. The city's demolition department recorded 1,974 home demolitions in 2022; the land bank said 2,181 houses finished their rehabilitations last year. +
— Detroit Documenters (@DetDocumenters) March 8, 2023
Mayor Duggan claimed Detroit's unemployment rate has dropped below 7% for the first time since 2000. Our fact-checkers have determined it has dropped, but it is in part because the number of people looking for a job has dropped, not that more people are employed. (Source below)
— Detroit Documenters (@DetDocumenters) March 8, 2023
Mayor Duggan claims there are no new taxes for District Detroit. Our fact-checkers have determined that the Downtown Development Authority is almost entirely funded by capturing taxes. It's a reallocation of Detroiter's taxes, not an increase. The DPL is impacted by tax capture.
— Detroit Documenters (@DetDocumenters) March 8, 2023
Mayor Duggan mentioned Detroit having the lowest poverty rate in 17 years. We've found that in 2005, Detroit's poverty rate was 31%. In 2021 there were also 31% of Detroiters living in poverty. https://t.co/K37KFchD3F
— Detroit Documenters (@DetDocumenters) March 8, 2023
--https://t.co/ogu5KdwfoF
We found more info about Duggan's claim that house values increased. Some suspect residents may be being priced out. Resident advocates are still pressing city leaders to look into the "inaccuracy" and "inequity" in property tax assessments in Detroit. https://t.co/fZ7HKZZLTy
— Detroit Documenters (@DetDocumenters) March 8, 2023
