A small enclave of Detroit is considering municipal bankruptcy to help rid itself of a decades-old water debt that has grown to about $20 million and threatens to swamp the already financially struggling city
Kevin Houston sits on the front steps of his home, May 9, 2023, in Highland Park, Mich., a small enclave of Detroit that is considering chapter 9 bankruptcy due to a $20 million debt to a regional water authority. Houston grew up in Highland Park and acknowledges that the city has too many vacant houses and overgrown lots. He says Highland Park is"not a bad place to live" but"it's not the best." HIGHLAND PARK, Mich.
Over 50,000 people lived there in 1930. Homes — elegant and spacious — rivaled some of those built in Detroit. The city is just under 3 square miles and is a shell of its auto baron past, when manufacturing boomed and money flowed. Fewer than 9,000 now call it home. The auto companies are long gone, leaving strip malls and retail shops to bolster the city's dwindling business tax base.
And, owing about $20 million to a regional water service, Highland Park is considering municipal bankruptcy — a strategy that a decade agoTroubled cities like Highland Park are the toughest cases in America to figure out how to fix, because they have so few assets to build on, said Alan Mallach, author of a soon-to-be-released book, “Smaller Cities in a Shrinking World: Learning to Thrive Without Growth.
“They have appalling levels of poverty and abandonment,” Mallach said. “A city like Highland Park probably cannot turn itself around all by itself. They just don’t have the resources.” Highland Park and communities like it have been fading as jobs dry up and families move away, but before the decline began, the auto and manufacturing industries helped build up some of these inner ring suburbs.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Beats Studio Buds+ review: clearly better buds | Digital TrendsFor $20 more, the Beats Studio Buds+ offer numerous meaningful improvements over the original Studio Buds.
Read more »
Here's what the progress of the $20 billion Intel project in New Albany looks likeIntel says work on its $20 billion project in New Albany has hit an important milestone as teams begin to pour concrete at the site.
Read more »
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is almost $20 off thanks to Epic’s latest Mega salePlayStation owners need not apply.
Read more »
‘Love & Marriage’ Franchise Heads To Detroit With New Spinoff On OWNThe Love & Marriage franchise is heading to the Midwest with Love & Marriage: Detroit. The newest series in the franchise, from reality producer and Detroit native Carlos King, is set to pr…
Read more »
ServiceNow and Nvidia team up on generative AIServiceNow announced its first-ever share-repurchase program of up to $1.5 billion Tuesday, and CEO Bill McDermott predicted a "$20 billion-plus company...
Read more »