On today's Daily Detroit, we unpack Detroit's new $3 billion city budget that was just approved and what it actually means for people who live, work, and play in the city.

I'm joined by Civic Life reporter Briana Rice from Outlier Media and public finance expert Steve Watson of Watson & Yates to walk through where the money's going, what got reshuffled, and what that means on your block.

We get into why the overall budget, approved in April of 2026, actually shrank by about $30 million this year, even as Detroit's population ticks up.

Mayor Mary Sheffield and council still managed to pass a balanced plan. It includes $30 million more for DDOT to boost bus driver pay and maintenance, the creation of a new Housing, Homeless and Family Services department, and continued investment in community violence intervention.

We also talk about the big questions underneath the line items: Only 14% of rentals are code compliant. Or the fact that nearly one in every three city dollars goes to policem but less than 1 in 4 live in the city of Detroit. And, the Land Bank has moved from mass demolition to figuring out what to do with thousands of remaining lots.

Plus, how growing the city's population might help with making the budget have a little more room.

As always, feedback is at dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot - com or 313-789-3211.

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Today's show comes to you from the Ford Experience Center in Dearborn, as Jer catches up with Devon O'Reilly at the city's first‑ever Dearborn Development Day. They dig into the future of the former Hyatt hotel at Fairlane — now moving forward as a Hilton‑flagged property — with plans for 168 residential units, a mix of restaurants and entertainment, and a revived rotating bar at the top.

From there, the conversation zooms out to Dearborn's wider development push: the emerging 'Midtown' Fairlane area, West Warren streetscape changes, and new housing concepts around Lundy, the Eugene and Porath sites, and the Joe Louis Greenway.

In the final third, Jer recaps his trip to the groundbreaking of the Gratiot Life Sciences Building on part of the old 'fail jail' site in downtown Detroit, why the two‑story project coming online in 2027 matters for 'eds and meds' jobs, and what BAMF Health and Henry Ford Health are planning there.

As always, send feedback to dailydetroit‑at‑gmail‑dot‑com, and be sure you're following the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

On today's Daily Detroit, Jer sits down with developer and Greatwater Homes co-founder Matt Temkin to unpack what it really takes to build brand-new single-family houses inside the city limits. After all, there were only 19 permits pulled in 2024 in Detroit.

We dig into the brutal math behind new construction: why a typical unit can cost $250,000–$400,000 to build, how the "1% rent rule" prices many Detroiters out of new apartments, and why at $2,500 a month most people start asking whether they should just buy instead.

Temkin says Detroit has always been a city of houses, and that new construction needs to respect that history while also meeting modern needs.

Jer and Matt talk about designing homes that fit the neighborhood — solid walls, solid oak floors, real fireplaces, and façades that sit comfortably next to 100-year-old houses — without falling into the "matchstick" trap of cheaply built new builds. How trying to cut every corner doesn't actually help anybody.

They also tackle pricing strategy, how Greatwater makes it financially sustainable while many others behind them have failed, and why bigger floorplans often end up being the better deal per square foot.

And we talk about policy: Detroit's tiny share of new home construction in Wayne County, Mayor Mary Sheffield's goal of 1,000 new single-family homes, and what process changes like permits, taps, and inspections that could aunlock more quality new housing in city neighborhoods.

As always, be sure to follow Daily Detroit in your favorite podcast app like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you isten to shows.