4 hours ago - Politics

Nonprofit pays people $15,000 to call Detroit home

Annalise Frank

Officials and grant recipients smile in a bright warehouse, holding a large check that reads "Make Detroit Home" for $15,000; dated 10/06/2026, with shelves and equipment visible in the background. — Mayor Mary Sheffield (left) and Move Detroit CEO Hilary Doe (right) with grant recipients. Photo: Courtesy of the city of Detroit via Flickr

A new business-funded nonprofit that aims to grow Detroit's population is giving money to people who pledge to move to or stay in the city.

The latest: Move Detroit announced the first 13 winners of its Make Detroit Home grants on Tuesday. They'll get $15,000 each.

It's the first stage of the program — supported by billionaire Dan Gilbert — that's marketing Detroit as a live-work destination.

By the numbers: Around 6,500 people applied for the grants.

300 more will be awarded $1,000 each for business creation, down payments, home renovations or relocation costs.

What they're saying: "This program is data-backed and focuses resources on our city's greatest asset, our people," CEO Hilary Doe said at a press conference.

Zoom in: The recipients include local entrepreneurs and former residents returning from places like St. Louis, Chicago, South Carolina and Chicago.

One is Justin Wilson, a Detroit native returning from living in Los Angeles after attending Duke University. He's coming back with a job on the Detroit Pistons' corporate partnership team.
Wilson's $15,000 is helping him move across the country and buy a home in Detroit.
He said living away taught him that "what Detroit offers cannot be replicated."

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Nonprofit pays people $15,000 to call Detroit home

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