Detroit reparations task force seeks public input for recommendations to City Council

Detroit's reparations task force wants input from Detroiters about how to address past harms to Black residents through housing and economic development.

The survey is expected to help the task force finalize its report with recommendations to address systemic racism toward Black Detroiters. The task force has faced numerous resignations and tension among members, who quarreled over the decision-making process. But members said research will continue for the report, which they were initially expected to submit to Detroit City Council in October, but the deadline moved to early next year.

Residents can rate each recommendation from most to least important. Categories include housing and land use, education and cultural engagement and quality of life.

Housing and land use involves suggestions around whether Black Detroiters should be entitled to cash payments, which was a question early on, providing grants for a down-payment on a mortgage, granting city land to Black Detroiters at no charge, granting Detroit Land Bank Authority homes to residents with up to $100,000 grants to bring them up to code, prohibiting the county from giving away homes of Black Detroiters and reducing tax liability of homeowners who were overtaxed by 10% for 10 years, among other ideas.

Education and cultural engagement suggestions include providing laptops and technology instructions to every Black middle- and high-school student, free lunches, and a districtwide program to introduce new teachers to the philosophy and methods of a Black-centered curriculum.

Quality of life recommendations include increasing access to healthy foods by funding community cooperative grocery stores for Black Detroiters in "vulnerable areas," providing grants and land to residents to build out community gardens and urban farms, implementing air quality monitoring and pollution reduction programs in majority Black neighborhoods and more.

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View the full survey here. Information is also available on the Detroit reparations task force city website.

Anyone can contact the task force at 313-542-5488 or email reparations@detroitmi.gov.

Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana.