what you should know about Detroit…
From 1900 to 1950 the population of Detroit grew from under 285,700 to over 1.8 million
From 1950 to 2000 the population of Detroit decreased from over 1.8 million to 951,270
No building construction permits were issued in Detroit in 1988, then the 7th largest city in the US
Between 1978 and 1998 only 9000 building permits were issued for new homes in Detroit, while over 108,000 demolition permits were issued In 1998,
Detroit was the 11th largest city in the US !n 1998,
79% of the population in Detroit was African American 1n 1998,
78% of the population in the surrounding suburbs was White In 1998,
the average income in the city was 47% of that in the surrounding suburbs In the 1990s,
the city lost 1% of its housing stock each year to arson In 1990,
the city spent $25 million on the removal of abandoned houses and other structures Between 1990 and 1992,
the city spent $250 million on the removal of toxic waste on property the city was donating to Chrysler Corporation for the construction of a new Jeep Factory
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