“I’ve served my county honorably,” says veteran Joseph Adams Jr. But the apartment he was placed in by a program designed for housing veterans isn’t suitable for his needs. He’s spent nearly a year bathing from a bucket. What’s worse, his support is ending, and he may be on the street again soon.

The Detroit Land Bank is entering a make-or-break moment, with questions swirling about its future swirl. It also just published a five-year strategic plan that doubles as a pitch for its continued existence. Will the plan be enough to save it? outliermedia.org/detroit-land...

Despite the Air Force vet’s service, housing support officials say they’ve done all they can do to help Joseph Adams Jr., who was placed in an apartment that didn't meet his needs as a disabled person. And now he might even lose that. outliermedia.org/miside-veter...

SNAP funding is on pause. That means thousands of Detroit families who rely on the food assistance program will face a challenging November. Do you need food resources? Here’s how Detroiters are showing up for each other:

This community nonprofit has staked everything on stalling a $180M redevelopment of the Villages at Parkside. outliermedia.org/friends-of-p...

For nearly 35 years, Friends of Parkside has provided services to Villages at Parkside residents, like a free food pantry and a weekly bingo night.  But a conflict with the Detroit Housing Commission over a major redevelopment of the complex could spell doom. The latest from @amondry.bsky.social :

I really want someone to put together a map of Detroit's Art Deco apartment buildings. There's gotta be a couple dozen of these beauties across town.

Several big takeaways from a recent hearing in the city's lawsuit against RealT: - Tenants risk eviction if they don't get on escrow accounts soon - RealT has a $2M unpaid water bill - The parties reached a settlement over a previously unreported lawsuit outliermedia.org/realt-tenant...

What you see when you go to HUD's website.

First the county took people's homes. Now it declines to provide them the most basic assistance to receive a tiny portion of the equity they're entitled to. outliermedia.org/wayne-county...

"There have been just 1,100 housing units built this year, according to a city database — far short of the 2,700 units needed to keep up with population growth, according to a City Planning Commission report. Just 44 of the units built this year were unsubsidized. In 2024, that number was 598."

I spoke to a bunch of developers for this story and they all told me the same thing: The Detroit rental market is in trouble. We've already seen a bunch of bank foreclosures in the last year, and they say we're likely to see a lot more. outliermedia.org/detroit-rent...

A truck route ordinance in Detroit has stalled for years. Meanwhile, 18-wheelers rumble past parks and schools. outliermedia.org/truck-traffi...

Eventually you have to accept that no matter how many different notebooks you buy, they won’t make you a better writer. For that, you need to spend a lot of money on the right pen.

Earlier this year, crypto real estate company RealT got more than $100,000 in digital tokens for a home on Detroit’s eastside. Now, somebody else is selling it. It’s one of five cases where properties RealT “sold” to investors were subsequently listed on the traditional real estate market.

Latest article on RealT dropped this morning. The company pitches investors on real estate ownership on chain. But other companies are currently marketing these properties and mortgages encumber some of the worst buildings in its portfolio. outliermedia.org/realt-detroi...

The judge in the city's case against RealT has issued a preliminary injunction extending the previous order for another 60 days, saying the company still cannot evict tenants or collect rent. The next hearing is currently scheduled for October.

I spent many months reporting on the numerous issues at the Detroit Housing Commission in 2023-2024. When Arthur Jemison took over as director, the agency was in crisis. But in less than a year, the DHC has already made notable progress. outliermedia.org/detroit-hous...

Didn’t want to believe this was true. It’s true.

Wayne County, why is there no discount?!?!

Detroit will have its first Black mayor in more than a decade. Former City Council President Mary Sheffield and pastor Solomon Kinloch will face off in the general election Nov. 4. Here’s what you should know about their stances on housing, safety and more: outliermedia.org/mary-sheffie...

Two children were injured in a drive-by shooting on Arcola Street this week. The home was tokenized by RealT in 2023. Neighbors say the family were squatting in the home at the time of the shooting. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/l...

Quality chart title

Outlier has put out an amazingly comprehensive voter guide for the primary in Detroit that answers a ton of commonly asked questions. Check it out!

Hey Detroit — got questions about the primary election on Aug. 5? Who’s running for what? Where can I vote early? Can I still get an absentee ballot? Our easy-to-use, nonpartisan voter guide has you covered: outliermedia.org/democracy/

Gonna sound like sponcon (for myself, I guess) but this was one of the reasons I bought the Semafor pitch when they hired me. We split up the News and the Takes pieces of stories. I was sick of the "lemme sneak this take into the hard news and quote someone I agree with first" stuff.

The court was set to hear arguments related to the TRO against RealT, but the judge said they'll stick to the Aug. 5 date. She sounded extremely annoyed with RealT attorneys. "You can mess with me, but not my staff," about trying to get the hearing date changed.

I'm one of six people who care, but the Detroit Housing Commission posted a full packet + agenda ahead of its board meeting last week. Good job! s3.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

RealT a sent message to investors the day the city got a temporary restraining order against the company. It said, among other things, it had renovated the ground-floor of 16730 Woodingham and were now asking $1,200. It's near my office so I checked it out. Um...

NEW: The City of Detroit has won an early victory in its lawsuit against RealT. Michigan’s 3rd Circuit Court granted a temporary restraining order preventing RealT from evicting tenants or collecting rent on 408 properties until the company gets them into compliance. From @amondry.bsky.social:

A federal judge has issued a Temporary Restraining Order against RealT, one of the largest tokenised real estate platforms. The company has frozen payments to investors, stating that the situation should return to normal.

Fact: Eighteen of the 25 ZIP codes in Southeast Michigan with the most expensive home insurance premiums were in Detroit as of 2022. That means Detroiters are paying far more for homeowners insurance than those in the suburbs, a policy some experts describe as modern-day redlining.

BREAKING: A judge has issued a temporary restraining order against RealT. The blockchain real estate company now can't collect rent from tenants in over 400 properties without a certificate of compliance so long as they put their rent in escrow. outliermedia.org/realt-detroi...

A new report from the University of Michigan estimates that more than a quarter of Detroiters don't have homeowners insurance. That means tens of thousands of Detroit households are at risk of losing everything from just a single crisis. outliermedia.org/detroit-home...

Cool little story!

Study: Majority Of Billionaires Consider Selves  Middle Class

This is very good. www.404media.co/the-medias-p...

A Florida-based real estate startup pitched foreign investors an eye-catching deal: Invest as little as $50 in crypto to buy stakes in 39 homes on Detroit’s eastside. More than a year later, the company still hasn’t closed on the properties — and investors are now asking tough questions.

Aaron has been killing it in the reporting the crypto company that sells "fractional ownership" of properties in cities like Detroit, Cleveland and Chicago -- and the consequences for people just trying to have a home.

Our latest story on RealT just pub'd this morning. In this one, we look at the company’s alarming business practices, such as selling shares of properties it doesn't own. That led one of its own investors to describe it as a “Ponzi/Madoff-type scheme.” outliermedia.org/realt-detroi...

Incredible reporting from @outliermedia.org on how property speculators have undermined stable and safe housing for Detroit renters.

BREAKING: The City of Detroit is suing a cryptocurrency-based real estate company RealT for failing to maintain hundreds of rental properties across the city, following investigations by @outliermedia.org. outliermedia.org/realt-lawsui...

2001 was a very good year for movies, apparently.

Just got re-outraged at the fact that in 1982, a judge sentenced the murderers of Vincent Chin to probation and a $3,000 fine, saying they “weren’t the kind of men you send to jail.” A new street sign honoring Chin was recently unveiled in Chinatown. outliermedia.org/vincent-chin...

Not sure who to cast your vote for the next Detroit mayor? Take the @outliermedia.org mayoral quiz and see who aligns most with your values. This is such a useful tool - really impressed with everyone on our team who put this together. outliermedia.org/meet-your-ma...

The Trump administration is using a little-known policy to accelerate deportations in Detroit: No judge, no hearing. Just a signature. Here’s what you need to know about “expedited removal.” outliermedia.org/expedited-re...

Check out this analysis of Outlier's windfall profit's project from the person who lead it. Cool stuff. detroitography.com/2025/06/16/m...

Following our investigation with @outliermedia.org, a new bill wants to ban the use of location and credit-based scores to set auto insurance prices. themarkup.org/premium-pena...

A Detroit renter fought back, won her eviction case—and still might lose her home. Her landlord won’t renew her lease after she asked for repairs. This is how retaliation happens without ever filing a notice. outliermedia.org/detroit-tena...