From 2017 to 2018 I served as the Chairperson for the City of Detroit’s “Demolition and Health Taskforce” until it was disbanded. The Taskforce was originally convened by Dr. Abdul El-Sayed of the Detroit Health Department and included the Detroit Building Authority (DBA), Building, Safety Engineering, and Environment Department (BSEED), and a researcher University of Michigan. The impetus for the Taskforce was the result of research that our team conducted in 2017 showing clustered demolitions contribute to elevated lead levels among children.
I also lead the Notification Workgroup that developed new materials that included expanded public health content and translations in Spanish and Arabic. A texting application was also developed by the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) to offer regular alerts about upcoming nearby demolitions to residents.
Taskforce Recommendations Report (2018)
Date
2017 – 2018
Client
City of Detroit / Detroit Health Department
Media
Video State of the City Address March 2019
Article Michigan Radio April 2018
Article Metro Times March 2018
Article Fox 2 Detroit March 2018
Article Bridge Magazine November 2017
Audio Michigan Radio November 2017
Alex B. Hill 