Thrive Detroit Street Newspaper

11/21/2020

COTS' Peterboro Arms affordable housing project has several two- bedroom apartments that will be available for leasing in the coming weeks. Two bedroom apartments can accommodate a family of 4. There are apartments are reserved for families in which a parent/guardian has a disability.
HUD 811PRA (disability) requirements:
--18-61yrs of age
--Extremely low-income (30%AMI)
--Disability of some kind (parent/guardian)
--Eligible for long-term, home/community-based services of some type

AND

Project Based Apartments no disability required:
Two and three bedroom apartments are available for families who are experiencing homelessness, at imminent risk of homelessness, fleeing domestic violence.

The brand new, fully furnished apartments are located at 26 Peterboro in Detroit. Individuals will pay 30% of their income towards rent. This program will step in and pay the balance of their rent payment each month.

To apply call and leave your name, phone number and email address at: 313-446-8999

11/21/2020

Detroit’s new Obama Building is an experiment in developing for the community | DETOUR

https://detourdetroiter.com/detroit-obama-building-old-redford-community-benefits/

"To figure out how the building should be used, The Platform and project lead Brandon Hodges helped form a Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC), an increasingly common way to have community representation give input for developments in their neighborhoods. NACs are mandated for projects that fall under the city’s Community Benefits Ordinance (when they cost more than $75 million and get subsidies). The Obama Building did not, but The Platform still decided to form one.

“We wanted to make sure that we as the developer were keeping the desires of the community in mind,” Hodges said. “So we created a system that will hold us accountable.”

Developers of the Obama Building in Detroit's Old Redford neighborhood baked in more community benefits than many projects in the city.

11/14/2020

Want a COVID test for your Michigan Thanksgiving? Expect… to… wait.

"Though Michigan doesn’t track turnaround times, it appears that roughly two weeks before the holiday it’s already taking three to five days for test results, said Lynn Sutfin, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

The state’s testing capacity is being overwhelmed as the virus spreads “out of control,” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive and deputy director of MDHHS, noted at a media briefing Thursday.

“We're incredibly concerned about what was happening with our testing capacity across the state.”

With a surge on demand for testing — which is expected to grow in the coming days — some labs already face a backlog.

10/21/2020

CEO group to Michigan leaders: Stop suing over COVID-19 restrictions, unite to fight second wave

"A coalition of 32 health care, labor, higher education and business executives called on Michigan political leaders Wednesday to cease litigation over public health orders aimed at mitigating spread of the coronavirus amid a resurgence that's starting to be felt in some hospitals across the state.

The open letter sent Wednesday to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her two counterparts in the Legislature — Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield — urges "collective action" to prevent additional deaths from COVID-19.

Signers of the letter include the top executives at Barton Malow, Dow Inc., DTE Energy Co., General Motors Co., Herman Miller, Lear Corp., Meijer Inc., Rocket Companies Inc., Steelcase, TCF Financial Corp. and the United Auto Workers.

The letter comes nearly three weeks after the Michigan Supreme Court upended Whitmer's management of the public health crisis, invalidating a law she used to issue broad executive orders without input from the Legislature.

The group of CEOs of major corporations, public universities and hospital systems effectively called for a legal cease fire, asking that public health and workplace safety orders issued by the Whitmer administration be allowed to stand without challenge in court or by legislation.

"On the cusp of a second wave, Michigan needs clearly defined mandatory standards which govern mask usage, workplace practices, public gatherings and certain social activities," the executives wrote. "The orders recently issued by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and (Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration) are sufficient to play this role. We should now focus on deploying them with discipline."

A coalition of 32 health care, labor, higher education and business executives called on Michigan political leaders Wednesday to cease litigation over public health orders aimed at mitigating spread of the coronavirus amid a resurgence that's starting to be felt in some hospitals across the state…

10/21/2020

Michigan Learning Channel – Detroit Public TV

The Michigan Learning Channel is a statewide public television partnership offering instructional content to support the education of students and to provide alternative resources for families and teachers.

This free programming is being broadcast via special on-air channels established by each of the participating public television stations in Michigan. It is also available as a livestream and stored for on-demand viewing on a variety of digital platforms, ensuring accessibility to all students, teachers and families across the state.

WTVS - Detroit's PBS Station

10/12/2020

Thrive has ceased print publication and distribution until Summer 2021. Our hope is that our community will be better positioned to safely engage in the social exchange that is an important part of the interaction between our vendors and supporters. We will continue to post content to our website and page. Stay Safe, and we'll see you out there in 2021.

09/28/2020

Pandemic disproportionately affects the most vulnerable, and its impact is not over

In Detroit, women, residents of color, those who are lower-income, and people who have lower levels of education are more likely to be unemployed, said Lydia Wileden, a doctoral candidate who does data analysis for the Detroit Metro Area Communities Study.

That's supported by a recent report from McKinsey & Co., who said that women are more likely than men to have jobs in the leisure and hospitality industry, making them more likely to face layoffs or other forms of cuts. They are also more likely to work on a part-time basis, typically the first jobs to be cut in a downturn, McKinsey said.

COVID-19 has not only exposed health disparities, it has also brought to light economic inequalities. That disparity has become apparent in Detroit.

09/17/2020

Michigan Senate votes to let clerks open absentee ballot envelopes day early

Clerks have spent months asking lawmakers for flexibility on absentee ballots, which they are expecting in record volumes this year because of the coronavirus pandemic and a new Michigan law that allows no-reason absentee voting.

Michigan law now allows clerks to process absentee ballots only on Election Day. Municipal clerks say that would be a “recipe for disaster” this year given an expected surge and would delay results reporting in a closely watched presidential election.

09/16/2020

State identifies Michigan K-12 schools and colleges with COVID outbreaks

Monday’s release was the first time state health officials have identified schools with outbreaks following efforts by Bridge Michigan and other media outlets for public access to this information. Previously, the state released weekly reports on the number of outbreaks in schools, but did not identify the schools or the number of people infected.

The public can now see what K-12 schools and colleges in the state have coronavirus outbreaks, thanks to new state reporting championed by Bridge Michigan and other media outlets. There are now more than 1,300 college cases.

08/04/2020

The Michigan primary, down to the wire: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson explains how to vote | One Detroit

The Michigan primary, down to the wire: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson explains how to vote | One Detroit

The Michigan primary, down to the wire: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson explains how to vote Jul 30, 2020 Significant changes have taken place in Michigan voting procedures thanks to the approval of the Promote the Vote initiative in 2018. There’s now no-reason absentee ballots, but with slowdow...

08/03/2020

Letter to Detroit Charter Commissioners: Adopt the Detroiters' Bill of Rights, embed our values into the City Charter.

Consider signing in support of the Detroiters' Bill of Rights. The deadline to sign is August 14 at 4pm. #DETbillofrights

The Detroiters' Bill of Rights is rooted in our country’s value of opportunity -- the opportunity to achieve our fullest potential as human beings -- with the recognition that opportunity must be based on the following principles of racial equity and social justice:

- RACIAL EQUITY: Racial equity is the condition where one's racial identity no longer influences how one fares in society. This includes the creation of racially just policies, practices, attitudes and cultural messages, and the elimination of structures that reinforce differential experiences and outcomes by race.
- SOCIAL JUSTICE: The principle that everyone deserves equitable economic, political and social rights. We advance social justice by removing barriers people face because of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, disability, or sexual orientation or gender identity, and promoting their rights.

http://bit.ly/DetBOR-ind

Dear Honorable Charter Commissioners, We, the undersigned, support the package of proposed charter amendments known as the Detroiters' Bill of Rights. We call on you to adopt them into the recommendations sent to the ballot in 2021. The Offices of Council Member Raquel Castañeda-López and Presiden...

07/17/2020

SOS - Democracy MVP

The City of Detroit has a huge challenge ahead of them. As the largest city in the state, they need more election workers than any other jurisdiction.

Election workers are trained and paid to assist clerks and count ballots on election day. The increase in AV ballots, paired with the usual need for workers at all polling places requires many more election workers. Election workers are critical to the running of secure, smooth, and accessible elections.

If you, or anyone you know can help, please step forward and sign up to serve. You can sign up to work in Detroit on August 4th at Michigan.gov/DemocracyMVP.

Secretary of State - Democracy MVP

07/16/2020

2020-2021 Challenge Detroit Community Leader Fellow Info.pdf

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ldbwQsnCiHwOMddsEEzwHAr0Sn9lOYvr/view

07/15/2020

Detroit Writing Room

We have some exciting news to share!

Just a year ago, we launched The Detroit Writing Room with a talented team of Detroit-based journalists, authors, photographers and designers. Now, we are excited to add New York-based writers and creatives to our Writing Room family and expand to another creative community that values writing and the arts.

So today, we launch The New York Writing Room! We have a rock star team of New York-based coaches who are ready to help with all your books, websites, storytelling and creative projects. Check out the team at www.newyorkwritingroom.com/coaches.

Whether you're in New York, Detroit or across the world, they're ready to meet with you on Zoom!

07/06/2020

Housing insecurity: Eviction concerns mount during the pandemic | One Detroit

https://www.onedetroitpbs.org/eviction-concerns-covid/
Some states have lifted their moratorium on evictions in recent weeks. However, Governor Whitmer recently extended the moratorium for renters in Michigan through July 15. While some landlords struggle to cover their mortgages, nonprofit groups are trying to provide assistance to renters in order to stave off evictions, which could lead to an increase in vacancies and homelessness amid an pandemic. Christy McDonald talks with Ted Philips of the United Community Housing Coalition and Wayde Kohler of the Wayne County Real Estate Investors Association about this pressing issue.

Housing insecurity: Eviction concerns mount during the pandemic Jul 1, 2020 Some states have lifted their moratorium on evictions in recent weeks. However, Governor Whitmer recently extended the moratorium for renters in Michigan through July 15. While some landlords struggle to cover their mortgage...

07/06/2020

Opinion | I work at Whole Foods, and I am calling out its hypocrisy

From Portland's Street Paper--
Before Amazon bought it out, Whole Foods Market has been straying from its roots, most noticeably its environmentally friendly practices. Back in 2006, writer Michael Pollan pointed out the hypocrisy of John Mackey in his book, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” He wrote that for a business that markets organic and sustainable values, it didn’t make sense that it would continue buying most of its produce from agribusiness giants like Earthbound Farm and Cal-Organic Farms. Not only that, but it continues to partner more with big farms like Horizon, which claims it’s sustainable and treats its cows ethically, but multiple times in the past, Horizon has been called out for its lack of space for their cows to roam.

When Amazon showed up, our waste became tenfold, with a company that has been known to silence team members for speaking out on the environmental impact this company has. It has shown in the stores the immense waste there is partnering with Amazon, with most products that are sent to the stores not even being recyclable.

Stores get sent Amazon Prime propaganda fliers for multiple events, bulky plastic Prime signs to hang all over the store and registers, and a ton of plastic waste for stores who do Amazon returns. Not only that, but Whole Foods once had a Green Mission program that was utilized to remind our guests and team members about how to properly care for our stores’ environmental impact. That group has since been either taken out of stores completely or given very little attention.

Right now, our Black community needs our support to help end white supremacy that runs very deep in this country. Amazon recently said in a statement that “inequitable and brutal treatment of Black people in our country must stop” and promised to “stand in solidarity with the Black community — our employees, customers, and partners — in the fight against systemic racism and injustice.”

But when you really look at the actions, Amazon has shown the opposite.

If the Amazon-owned company lived up to its core values, ‘essential workers’ would be essential to the community — not just to Jeff Bezos.

06/21/2020

United States of Apocalypse

I was alive but too young to realize what was happening during the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s but not too young to remember the “Colored” or “Whites Only” signs displayed in the South where we lived until I was about seven years old.

The absence of those signs in the North just made the hatred and fear more insidious, less obvious, and easier for us to believe that we hadn’t been followed. I thought the North was in the struggle with us, fighting just as hard against the murders and terrorism of the South that I’d heard the adults in my family talk about.

By Delphia Simmons I read somewhere that the word apocalypse does not mean final destruction and undoing of all things as I had thought, but rather an uncovering, a revelation of what has…

06/20/2020

Detroit street painting sends 'Power to the People' message

"I wanted to stand up for my rights and for people of my same skin color. As an African American female, it's hard out here," said Lawrence, who will head to Central Michigan University in the fall. "I wanted to let it be known it doesn't matter what generation you are a part of, you can make a change."

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2020/06/18/detroit-street-painting-sends-power-people-message/3217084001/

The installation comes amid ongoing protests in Detroit and across the country in response to the Memorial Day death of George Floyd in Minneapolis

06/18/2020

Mayor Duggan to show how you’re 'getting screwed,' give auto insurance aid

Facebook Live today (6/18/2020) at 7pm!

Mayor Mike Duggan gave an update on COVID-19 and announced plans for Detroit's Juneteenth celebration and at 2 p.m. Monday.

06/14/2020

The Detroit Writing Room is celebrating its 1-year birthday by launching Detroit Writing Day!

Join the virtual party on Monday, June 15 by writing about your favorite Detroit spot in 313 words or less. It could be a favorite restaurant, shop, museum, park or hidden gem.

Use the hashtag #DetroitWritingDay and tag the @detrotiwritingroom on Facebook or Instagram for a chance to win prizes like personalized Shinola journals or a coaching session with a DWR coach of your choice.

06/08/2020

How Cities Offload the Cost of Police Brutality

“The question is: How commonly known is the money spent by cities to pay for cases to go away?” says William D. Green, history professor at Augsburg University in Minneapolis. “The fact that that’s unclear is a problem, because it allows the city to pay this thing off and then flip it under the table. This needs to be clarified. I suspect that there are very few taxpayers who have any clue how much the city pays out annually for settling cases and how that payment is covered, if you’re talking about accountability.”

Cities spend tens of millions of dollars on lawsuits over police violence and killings. But municipalities are effectively using residents to mortgage the cost.