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May 13, 2020

Detroit hits pause on tax foreclosures to help homeowners during COVID-19

Wayne County estimates roughly 10,000 properties were scheduled for tax foreclosure this year, including about 3,200 owner-occupied homes.

by Eli Newman
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Pressing pause on tax foreclosures is a solution to a long-standing problem in Detroit.
Pressing pause on tax foreclosures is a solution to a long-standing problem in Detroit.
Eli Newman

Foreclosures have been a chronic problem in Detroit for years. Researchers at the University of Michigan estimate nearly half of all residential properties in the city experienced some sort of foreclosure between 2005 and 2015.

But with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Detroit’s county officials have paused tax foreclosures this year. The move is a temporary fix to one of the city’s long-standing housing problems.

Click the audio player above to hear the full interview.

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