Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan made his fourth State of the City Address Tuesday night, focusing on what's next.
He announced several new initiatives concerning jobs and education.
Inside Focus: Hope, on the city's northwest side, Mayor Mike Duggan started with a new job initiative called "Detroit at Work".
Duggan knows the city's unemployment rate is the highest in the state. This initiative will link to training programs on the city's website, in conjunction with job openings.
Duggan called the demolition of vacant homes a matter of life and death, telling the crowd the city will take down another 10,000 homes over the next two years. He joked it will be done following all federal laws.
But it's no secret schools are a major issue. Detroit is now facing the closure of 25 schools, but the Mayor told the crowd he's not going down without a fight.
Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones telling us, "Everything he talked about, I'm going to stay on him, to make sure this is a city for all."
Duggan also announced the expansion of the Detroit Promise, stating any student with a 3.0 and 21 ACT who graduates from a Detroit High School, can now go to a four-year college tuition free.
With the city's comeback, Duggan told the crowd neighborhoods won't be left behind, establishing a new "Strategic Neighborhood Fund" with $30 million.
Well-known street pastor Maurice Hardwick says, "How can we build the people up from the bottom? I know we are going to do big business here, but what about the small city and everyday citizens."
