Sarah Alvarez

Michigan overhauled its unemployment insurance system nearly a decade ago to save money, root out fraud and make it harder for jobless workers to qualify for benefits. Now, with more than one million workers jobless, the state has flagged 1 in 3 claimants for fraud amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Detroit and the rest of Wayne County comprise nearly half of Michigan’s coronavirus cases, forcing residents to summon resilience forged through decades of crisis.

Detroit, which faces a host of challenges, is the ‘epicenter’ of Michigan’s coronavirus outbreak. Some attribute that to testing. Others say city residents are more susceptible. All agree the rise burdens folks who are already suffering.

U-M’s endowment’s investment in a firm that buys and renovates tax-foreclosed homes in Detroit is prompting evictions and big equity questions in a rapidly changing city.

Each year, Michigan helps 122,000 families keep the heat on when bills rise too high. This year, the state is enforcing controversial asset tests meant to crack down on fraud.

The Detroit Land Bank owns 20 percent of all residential property in the city. But just 3 percent of its holdings are for sale, frustrating would-be homeowners.

Tax foreclosures are decreasing in Detroit, but residents are still losing their homes for less than $1,000 debts.

A law was supposed to stop land speculators from buying homes at tax auctions. It hasn’t worked out that way.

A get-tough approach is sending scofflaws to jail for unpaid misdemeanor tickets. But it costs the county more to jail them than it generates for the city in ticket revenue and, now, even the sheriff is complaining.

People who rent homes in Detroit are often at the mercy of unscrupulous or negligent landlords. The city should stiffen inspection laws and help average Detroiters get better information on rental properties.

All parents of kids with disabilities have a lot to know when it comes to education, leaving parents searching for tips and advice from other parents, special education officials and advocates on how best to get the services they think their child