Detroit City Council unanimously approved its 2026 legislative agenda Thursday, identifying blight elimination, public transit expansion, and affordable housing development as the three pillars that will guide the legislative body’s work this year as the city continues its recovery trajectory.
The council voted 9-0 on the resolution during its first meeting of the new year, establishing priorities that reflect ongoing conversations between council members, residents, and community organizations across the city.
“We are setting an ambitious but achievable agenda that addresses the most pressing needs of Detroiters,” Council President Mary Sheffield said during the session. “These three priorities are interconnected. You cannot attract people to neighborhoods crippled by blight. You cannot build a thriving community without reliable transportation. And none of this works without housing people can actually afford.”
Targeting Blight with Urgency
Blight removal has been a hallmark of Mayor Mike Duggan’s administration since 2014, but council members argue the pace must accelerate to meet community expectations. The 2026 agenda calls for demolishing at least 5,000 blighted structures across the city, up from 4,200 demolished in 2025.
Council Member Latisha Johnson, who chairs the Downtown/Midtown Development Standing Committee, emphasized that blight elimination must extend beyond demolition. “We need strategic redevelopment plans for neighborhoods once buildings come down,” Johnson said. “Empty lots cannot replace empty lots. We need green space, community gardens, affordable development.”
The council specifically identified Southwest Detroit, the East Side, and portions of Midtown as neighborhoods requiring intensive blight intervention. The resolution allocates oversight authority to ensure federal and local funds dedicated to blight removal are deployed efficiently.
Expanding Public Transit as Economic Engine
Public transportation emerged as a critical economic development tool in council discussions. The body endorsed expansion of the M-1 Rail line beyond its current Woodward Avenue corridor and committed to supporting the Regional Transit Authority’s bus rapid transit initiatives.
“Transit access determines where people can work, where they can afford to live, where business can thrive,” Council Member André Spivey stated. “Detroit’s comeback is hollowed out if working families cannot reliably reach jobs.”
The council’s transit priorities include advocating for state and federal funding to extend light rail service to Detroit Metro Airport and supporting completion of the Woodward Avenue bus rapid transit line currently under construction. Council members also committed to examining fare structures to ensure affordability for low-income residents.
Transit planning intersects directly with housing priorities, council members noted, as reliable transportation corridors determine residential desirability and property values.
Affordable Housing as Foundation
The third pillar addresses what many residents identify as Detroit’s most urgent crisis. The median rent in Detroit increased 22 percent between 2020 and 2025, displacing families and eroding the city’s workforce.
Council Member James Tate, who chairs the Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee, called affordable housing “the moral center” of the council’s agenda. “We can demolish blight and build transit, but if Detroiters cannot afford to live here, we have failed,” Tate said.
The 2026 agenda commits the council to passing a revised inclusionary zoning ordinance requiring 20 percent of new residential development in downtown and high-demand neighborhoods to remain affordable for 30 years. Council members also pledged to explore community land trust models and advocate for increased state funding for the Michigan Housing and Community Development Fund.
Council President Sheffield noted that affordable housing policy extends to homeownership. “We want renters to become homeowners. That is how wealth builds in families and communities,” Sheffield said.
Implementation and Accountability
The resolution establishes quarterly reporting requirements, compelling city departments and relevant agencies to present progress updates on each priority. Council members created performance metrics for blight removal, transit ridership growth, and housing unit creation.
Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero introduced language requiring equity analysis in all major initiatives under these three priorities. “We cannot address blight, transit, and housing without centering environmental justice and racial equity,” Santiago-Romero said. “These crises did not emerge randomly. They reflect deliberate disinvestment in Black communities and communities of color.”
The council also established a new ad hoc committee focused on coordinating implementation across standing committees and city departments. Council Member Scott Benson will chair the committee, which holds its first meeting January 15.
Looking Forward
While the unanimous vote suggests broad consensus, council members acknowledged significant challenges ahead. Blight removal requires sustained funding. Transit expansion requires state and federal support. Affordable housing development requires balancing market dynamics with community needs.
“This resolution is our commitment to Detroiters that these issues will not disappear from our agenda,” Sheffield said. “Every decision we make this year will be measured against these priorities. That is accountability. That is leadership.”
The council’s 2026 legislative agenda becomes the framework for budget decisions and ordinance development scheduled throughout the year. City departments will align departmental goals with the three council priorities during their budget hearings scheduled for February.
