OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Detroit City Council Budget Hearing for Human, Homeless & Family Services Dept. - March 27, 2026

City Council — Friday, March 27, 2026
BodyDetroit, Michigan
SessionCity Council
DateFriday, March 27, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:59:48

Transcript — Verbatim
0:27

Understood.

0:37

Hey y'all.

0:40

Just got a budget hearing.

0:42

Ready?

0:44

Dr.

0:45

Shaver, where did everybody go?

0:51

Mr.

0:51

Washington, where's your crew at?

0:56

Okay, well their time for being in the hall was last week.

1:01

And you'd be in the committee all today at the table.

1:27

We can go with that one because we need to get going.

1:36

Thank you.

1:38

All right, come on down.

1:57

And good afternoon.

2:00

We're now moving into our budget hearing for I'm not sure if we have the PowerPoint locked and loading yet, but the budget hearing for the human homeless and family services department.

2:16

Those who participating, please introduce yourself for the record, uh, and you may proceed.

2:22

Uh David Bowser, Mayor's Office Chief of Staff.

2:29

Okay, with me.

2:30

Luke Schaefer, Chief Executive of Health, Human Services, and Poverty Solutions.

2:34

Thank you.

2:35

Good day.

2:35

Donnie Johnson, uh, Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Budget Director.

2:59

Okay.

3:00

Uh Julie Schneider, Director of the Housing and Revitalization Department.

3:04

Okay.

3:13

Okay.

3:25

So through the chair, today's presentation uh is about the newly proposed human homeless and family services department.

3:34

Um this is an extremely exciting development uh from the administration.

3:40

Um this is not a recent sort of concept.

3:43

This is something that has been in the works uh for quite some time now, and the mayor is um has thrown support and sort of a structure behind uh a vision that has been much needed um in the city for a bit of context.

3:58

There was a human services department in the city of Detroit uh at the conclusion of the bankruptcy or throughout the bankruptcy, it was dissolved.

4:06

It was also the community action agency uh designated by the state to receive community um service block grant dollars, CSBG, that old entity used to provide furnaces, roofing, just different sort of programs for residents.

4:22

Um after the bankruptcy, the community action agency went to Wayne Metro, that designation did, and at that time uh it was sort of seeing that there became uh a gulf between residents and resources.

4:34

Um the city of Detroit has a pretty robust network of resources for residents, but a lot of times there's a gulf that is comprised of many different issues.

4:44

Transportation, internet access, um, just general awareness of resources.

4:49

One of the things that this new department is tasked with doing is bridging that gap between people and resources.

4:55

Um we know that every household has multiple different resource needs.

5:00

We want to create a one-stop shop to make sure that residents are connected to both internal and external entities, as well as to start to create policies to address the needs that families have proactively and not reactively.

5:14

This is not just sort of a standalone entity that you come to for help is also an entity that's going to shape policy to make sure that we are addressing some of the major needs of Detroit households.

5:25

And so just as an intro, um, this department, the services provided by it, and the policies are designed uh to meet Detroiters where they are.

5:34

Um equity is a huge sort of quality and uh and a guiding point that the mayor has established to where every Detroit resident may need a different level of assistance, and we should be especially cognizant of that.

5:46

Um we are looking to create barrier reduction programs, barrier reduction collaborations and policies, and we're looking to reduce or eliminate the factors that lead to poor outcomes for Detroit's most vulnerable residents.

6:02

And so typically the budget presentations do sort of um uh review of what happened in the previous fiscal year.

6:10

Uh the unique thing about this proposed department is that the uh the entities, the programs that are uh proposed to live under this new umbrella, they lived in several different umbrellas this past fiscal year.

6:22

So we want to kind of go through those different umbrellas, sort of make the point that we are making sure that we are centralizing resources now under one umbrella, and then refining those resources to make sure they're deployed directly to residents in a way that reduces um uh the barriers that that residents have been expressing for a very long time now.

6:42

And so you wanted to make sure that everyone understood that there are three different sort of departments um uh programming that is going to be consolidated through this one new entity.

6:53

The housing revitalization department is probably undergoing the most dramatic shift uh of the sort of consolidation.

7:01

Uh home repair, neighborhood opportunity fund, Detroit Housing Services and the Housing Resource Helpline and Homelessness Solutions uh would be condensed from HRD into this new umbrella.

7:14

From the Detroit Health Department, the Detroit ID and sister friends would be reduced, uh condensed into this department, and the Office of Immigrant Affairs and Economic Inclusion will live uh directly uh beside or or under this umbrella that Luke Schaefer uh Dr.

7:31

Luke will be overseeing.

7:33

And so these are some of the functions that the implementation of HHFS will sort of consolidate and make more available to residents.

7:43

So what I would like to do is go through sort of a fiscal year 25-26 review of what these capacities have been able to um achieve before we move into what will happen uh what is proposed to happen in fiscal year 27 to broaden access to improve programs and to create some very concrete strategies uh to lead change in the city of Detroit through this new entity.

8:08

So handing it off to uh Director Schneider.

8:13

Good afternoon.

8:14

Um to this honorable body.

8:16

So uh I'll be going through some of the performance measurements from the the current fiscal year.

8:22

Um before I begin with that, I did want to just take a moment to acknowledge the work of the staff, particularly in the home repair neighborhood services, as well as the Detroit Housing Services and Homeless Solutions umbrella of work for all of that they've accomplished and their dedication in the last year.

8:42

So in home repair, we have nearly completed or we expect to nearly complete nearly 1,500 homes uh within this fiscal year.

8:50

So that's through a broad range of programs from grant programs such as senior emergency repairs, lead hazard reduction work, um, where we've received several grants from the federal government, competitive grants both in uh 24 and 25.

9:06

Um wrapping up the current version of the the zero percent just home repair program and launched uh the new critical home repair program, which replaced the senior emergency program.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Homelessness██████████████████████████████30%
Procedural████████████████████████████28%
Housing███████7%
Public Comment███████7%
Home Repair Services█████5%
Immigrant Support█████5%
Economic Development█████5%
Community Engagement███3%
Mental Health Awareness███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Detroit City Council Budget Hearing for Human, Homeless & Family Services Dept. - March 27, 2026

This was a budget hearing for the newly proposed Human, Homeless and Family Services (HHFS) Department, presented by administration officials. The session included an overview of the department's creation, consolidation of existing programs, proposed budget for fiscal year 2027, and extensive discussion of homelessness, home repair, immigrant services, and policy goals. Council members raised questions and made motions related to funding, performance metrics, shelter conditions, youth homelessness, mental health services, and the budget process timeline.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • James Jacob (homeless veteran) spoke positively about Detroit Power Detroit Community Outreach, stating the program "changed my whole mindset" and helped him get a job. Testimony was cut short.
  • Jennifer Van Pablo (Detroit Power Detroit Community Outreach) criticized the administration, saying "a lot of things that I've heard today... was a lot of BS" and that grassroots organizations are doing on-the-ground work but are not being funded. She urged council to visit their program.
  • John Kittleson (resident, Detroit Community Outreach) praised the facility for taking him in when homeless and caring for him after being assaulted.
  • Douglas Adams (Brightmore) noted his team of veterans is ready to work in the community but needs contracts and funding. He urged council not to close the facility.
  • James Tank (Detroit Power Detroit) apologized for any disrespect from previous speakers, stated he operates six transitional housing shelters but is expanding to other states because of "so much animosity" in Detroit. He claimed over 40 veterans have started a landscaping company in District 7.
  • Ruben James Crowley Jr. spoke about teaching formerly homeless individuals to grow their own food. He accused city officials of not living in Detroit and urged using city money for Detroit-based organizations.
  • Online callers included: William M. Davis calling for greater transparency and dashboards; Betty A. Varner (president of Soda Els World Black Association) expressing disgust that no one could answer a question about application fees; Foster criticizing a $200 million housing deal and noting children died in parking lots; iPhone urging protest against the clerk and calling for election security; Jacqueline complaining about unfilled demolition holes; Owner Baba accusing the city of creating silos; and Christine Savoie (co-chair, Detroit Immigrant Task Force) urging a strategic plan for the Office of Immigrant Affairs and legal services for immigrants.

Discussion Items

  • Creation of HHFS Department: David Bowser (Chief of Staff) explained the department consolidates programs from HRD (home repair, homeless services), Health Department (Detroit ID, Sister Friends), and will include the Office of Immigrant Affairs. The goal is to create a one-stop shop for residents, bridging gaps between people and resources.
  • Performance Metrics (FY25-26): Julie Schneider (HRD Director) reported nearly 1,500 home repairs expected this fiscal year, 360 repairs through New Detroit, 90 through Stellantis, and 500 lateral main water line repairs. The helpline has connected 80,500 callers to resources. Homelessness solutions expects to serve about 3,400 residents in emergency shelter. Down payment assistance (Phase 3) launched March 11 with $2M CDBG and $2M CDBG-DR funds, expecting 400-500 residents. 39 applications already in process.
  • Proposed Budget FY27: $39 million allocation, including $17M in general funds, $19M in block grants, $2.7M in ESG. Home repair: $3.8M; homeless services: $9.2M (10% increase); down payment assistance: $2M; neighborhood/housing services: $5M. The budget consolidates existing funding sources under one department.
  • Policy Objectives: Upstream displacement intervention, case management streamlining, homeless services improvement, land bank service improvement, universal intake and 311 integration, home repair task force to coordinate partners, data-driven policy making.
  • Poverty Reduction Goals: Luke Schaefer (Chief Executive of Health, Human Services, Poverty Solutions) outlined North Star goals: reduce childhood poverty to its 20-year low, reduce chronic absenteeism, increase wage growth, reduce unsheltered homelessness and length of stay.
  • Council Questions and Concerns:
    • Councilmember Santiago Romero asked about breaking silos among outreach providers and creating a platform for data sharing. Administration agreed to work on a map and data sharing.
    • Councilmember Waters asked about performance indicators and risk/contingency planning. Schaefer mentioned a dashboard for poverty, health, and human services metrics. CFO noted broad funding base reduces risk; general fund is smaller component.
    • Councilmember Johnson (new COC board member) asked about shelter quality, expressed concern about federal restrictions on permanent supportive housing, and suggested using single-family homes for temporary needs instead of shelters. Administration noted $40M available for shelter rehab, monthly inspections, and technical assistance for new providers.
    • Councilmember Benson (chair of Wealth Generation Task Force) advocated for middle-income families and continued 0% interest loan program. He also pressed for legal services for immigrants.
    • Councilmember Callaway asked for breakdown of down payment assistance by district (data provided by Chelsea Dublin). She also requested updates on the lead-based paint encapsulation program: Rico Razo reported 400+ landlords trained, 90 units approved, 680 landlords on waitlist. Councilmember Callaway made motions to secure leftover funds and add $1M for continuation.
    • Councilmember McCampbell asked about LGBTQ homeless youth. Tara Linsner described the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project (HUD grant), youth action board, and funding for Ruth Ellis and Detroit Phoenix Center. Councilmember McCampbell also asked about mental health capacity and was informed of co-response teams (D-Wayne) and mobile crisis response. She made a motion for quarterly reports on mental health gaps.
  • Procedural and Scheduling Issues: Council debated suspending standing committees for the following week to gain time for budget deliberations. After several motions, only BFA (Budget, Finance, Audit) and NCS (Neighborhood Community Services) were suspended for the afternoon. The Department of Elections and City Clerk budget hearings were placed into executive session after the Department of Elections did not return due to an altercation in the hallway.

Key Outcomes

  • Performance Metrics: 1,500 home repairs expected; 80,500 callers connected; 3,400 residents in emergency shelter; 2200 residents connected to permanent housing; 794 DPA loans closed.
  • Proposed Budget FY27: $39 million for HHFS, including $17M general fund, 10% increase for homeless services.
  • Motions Approved:
    • $500,000 leftover from lead-based paint program to remain dedicated (unanimous).
    • $1 million added for continuation of lead-based paint program (unanimous).
    • Focus on 18-24 homeless youth added to closing resolution (unanimous).
    • Quarterly reports on mental health capacity/gaps in homelessness system (unanimous).
    • Suspension of BFA standing committee for next week (approved 4-3? but noted as approved).
    • Suspension of NCS standing committee for next week (approved).
    • City Clerk's budget placed in executive session (approved).
    • Department of Elections budget placed in executive session (approved).
    • Air monitoring dashboard executive session with Health Department, BC, Wayne County (approved).
    • Motion to assign executive protection officer to City Clerk (approved).
  • Next Steps: Administration to consider council amendments to the Executive Order Plan (EOP) by April 7. Budget amendments to stand up HHFS in the current fiscal year will be brought after EOP approval. Oversight agencies will present on proportional funding on Monday, March 30 at 10 a.m., followed by executive session at 11 a.m.

Meeting Transcript

Understood. Hey y'all. Just got a budget hearing. Ready? Dr. Shaver, where did everybody go? Mr. Washington, where's your crew at? Okay, well their time for being in the hall was last week. And you'd be in the committee all today at the table. We can go with that one because we need to get going. Thank you. All right, come on down. And good afternoon. We're now moving into our budget hearing for I'm not sure if we have the PowerPoint locked and loading yet, but the budget hearing for the human homeless and family services department. Those who participating, please introduce yourself for the record, uh, and you may proceed. Uh David Bowser, Mayor's Office Chief of Staff. Okay, with me. Luke Schaefer, Chief Executive of Health, Human Services, and Poverty Solutions. Thank you. Good day. Donnie Johnson, uh, Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Budget Director. Okay. Uh Julie Schneider, Director of the Housing and Revitalization Department. Okay. Okay. So through the chair, today's presentation uh is about the newly proposed human homeless and family services department. Um this is an extremely exciting development uh from the administration. Um this is not a recent sort of concept. This is something that has been in the works uh for quite some time now, and the mayor is um has thrown support and sort of a structure behind uh a vision that has been much needed um in the city for a bit of context. There was a human services department in the city of Detroit uh at the conclusion of the bankruptcy or throughout the bankruptcy, it was dissolved. It was also the community action agency uh designated by the state to receive community um service block grant dollars, CSBG, that old entity used to provide furnaces, roofing, just different sort of programs for residents. Um after the bankruptcy, the community action agency went to Wayne Metro, that designation did, and at that time uh it was sort of seeing that there became uh a gulf between residents and resources. Um the city of Detroit has a pretty robust network of resources for residents, but a lot of times there's a gulf that is comprised of many different issues. Transportation, internet access, um, just general awareness of resources. One of the things that this new department is tasked with doing is bridging that gap between people and resources. Um we know that every household has multiple different resource needs. We want to create a one-stop shop to make sure that residents are connected to both internal and external entities, as well as to start to create policies to address the needs that families have proactively and not reactively. This is not just sort of a standalone entity that you come to for help is also an entity that's going to shape policy to make sure that we are addressing some of the major needs of Detroit households. And so just as an intro, um, this department, the services provided by it, and the policies are designed uh to meet Detroiters where they are. Um equity is a huge sort of quality and uh and a guiding point that the mayor has established to where every Detroit resident may need a different level of assistance, and we should be especially cognizant of that. Um we are looking to create barrier reduction programs, barrier reduction collaborations and policies, and we're looking to reduce or eliminate the factors that lead to poor outcomes for Detroit's most vulnerable residents. And so typically the budget presentations do sort of um uh review of what happened in the previous fiscal year. Uh the unique thing about this proposed department is that the uh the entities, the programs that are uh proposed to live under this new umbrella, they lived in several different umbrellas this past fiscal year. So we want to kind of go through those different umbrellas, sort of make the point that we are making sure that we are centralizing resources now under one umbrella, and then refining those resources to make sure they're deployed directly to residents in a way that reduces um uh the barriers that that residents have been expressing for a very long time now. And so you wanted to make sure that everyone understood that there are three different sort of departments um uh programming that is going to be consolidated through this one new entity. The housing revitalization department is probably undergoing the most dramatic shift uh of the sort of consolidation. Uh home repair, neighborhood opportunity fund, Detroit Housing Services and the Housing Resource Helpline and Homelessness Solutions uh would be condensed from HRD into this new umbrella. From the Detroit Health Department, the Detroit ID and sister friends would be reduced, uh condensed into this department, and the Office of Immigrant Affairs and Economic Inclusion will live uh directly uh beside or or under this umbrella that Luke Schaefer uh Dr. Luke will be overseeing.

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