Detroit voters want more spending in neighborhoods, less focus on downtown

DETROIT – Voters in the city of Detroit want more investment in the neighborhoods and less focus on downtown.

As part of a poll of likely voters on May 27-29, participants were asked a series of questions about Detroit’s spending on downtown and the neighborhoods.

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Here are the results.

‘We focus too much attention on downtown’

Participants were asked to choose one of the two following statements based on their own opinion.

1. We need to focus on strengthening both the downtown and the neighborhoods. Both are important. While we may spend more resources on the downtown, that’s where more people are and our businesses are. We need a strong downtown to build a strong city.
2. We focus too much attention on downtown. We need to be spending more of our resources in our local neighborhoods. That’s where people live. And that is where the strength of our city is.

Of the participants, 69.3% agreed with No. 2, that more resources should be spent in the neighborhoods, while 18.7% agreed with No. 1.

There was an additional 12% of people who said both are important and didn’t choose between the two options.

Spending

Participants were asked, "Would you say that Detroit spends more of its resources on poorer neighborhoods, would you say Detroit spends more of its resources on wealthy neighborhoods, or would you say Detroit spends its resources equally among both poorer and wealthier neighborhoods?"

Here are the results:

• Mostly on poor neighborhoods -- 5.1%
• Mostly on wealthy neighborhoods -- 65.6%
• Equally among poorer and wealthier neighborhoods -- 18.5%
• Don’t know/refused -- 10.8%

Low-interest loans

Participants were asked, “Do you support or oppose the City of Detroit offering low-interest loans to residents to help them fix up their houses and properties?”

• Strongly support -- 81.1%
• Somewhat support -- 13%
• Somewhat oppose -- 2.2%
• Strongly oppose -- 3.1%
• Don’t dnow/refused -- 0.6%

Poll methodology

WDIV and the Detroit News commissioned a survey of likely August 2025 primary election voters within the city of Detroit. The poll was conducted y The Glengariff Group, Inc.

It was a 500 sample, live operator telephone survey from May 27-29, 2025.

The margin of error is +/- 4%, and there is a 95% level of confidence.

Of the respondents, 10.4% were called via landline telephone, and 89.6% were called on a cellphone.