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Council Passes Resolution To Tackle Issue Of Homelessness With Innovation

DETROIT (WWJ) - Detroit city council passes a resolution creating a task force to tackle the problem of homelessness.

As Newsradio 950's Stephanie Davis reports, part of the plan is to move the homeless into some of the city's rehabbed abandoned homes.

That's the goal.

Council woman Mary Sheffield, who sponsored the resolution on the task force, says Detroit has so many abandoned homes, there's no reason why anyone should be living on the streets.

"We have so many current buildings, blighted properties and homes that we can put some home innovations to work by building up an actual house, training them, having them live in that actual home and then having case management workers come out to those homes," said Sheffield.

Sheffield says housing should come first and part of the project will involve the homeless working to fix up the property.

"The first thing we do is house them - because we have so many abandoned homes in the city of Detroit that there is really no reason anyone should be out on the street, here in our city," she says.

Nationally says Sheffield it's a housing first program, and "that's where we house individuals first and address their needs after they are in the house."

"Right now we are just creating the actual program - exactly how it will work and how it will run."

Sheffield says the Duggan administration is on board, and she hopes to see some movement on the idea in a couple of months.

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