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2:47 pm
Mon August 22, 2011

Bing unveils another incentive program for Detroit homeowners

Dave Bing

In an effort to lure people back to the city, Detroit officials have unrolled generous housing incentives programs for police officers and city employees.

That’s left many current residents asking about similar help for people who never left the city.

Now, Mayor Dave Bing has announced such a program. It’s a grant program through Citizens bank to help homeowners make exterior improvements.

Bing says improving how neighborhoods look can start a positive domino effect.

“And if we can fix those things, people will start to take a little more pride, I think, in what they own, and make the investments interior-wise.”

Citizens CEO Cathy Nash says the bank had money to spend in Detroit after settling a federal housing discrimination lawsuit.

Nash says it made sense to partner with the city, and expand its housing incentive programs to current Detroiters


“What about the folks who have been here all along? Paid their mortgages,stuck with their homes…what could we do to help them? So the grant program was a great solution, that helped the city and helped the Detroit Works neighborhood initiative.”

The grant program will only be available to homeowners in neighborhoods targeted for revitalization through the city’s ongoing Detroit Works project.