DETROIT – The federal government has ended 10 years of management of Detroit's public housing system and restored it to local control.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says in a statement Tuesday that the change is effective March 16. U.S. Housing Secretary Julian Castro says the update "represents an important milestone in Detroit's road to recovery."
The department took over the Detroit Housing Commission in 2005 because of a variety of mismanagement and regulatory compliance issues. They included financial record problems, poor living conditions and failure to carry out construction projects.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Detroit Housing Commission have hired an executive director to manage and oversee day-to-day operations, cut staff and increased the occupancy rate to 97% from 70% in 2005.
