DHS Names Wayne Metro as Interim Community Action Agency for Detroit

Contact: Dave Akerly, Director of Communications (Acting) 517-373-7394

Lansing, Mich. March 20, 2013 - The Michigan Department of Human Services is pleased to announce that Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency has been named the interim Community Action Agency to serve the city of Detroit.

Wayne Metro will assume full responsibility for all CAA activity in the city effective April 1, 2013. This action will assure the highest quality services and activities to help low-income residents of Detroit move toward self-sufficiency.

Wayne Metro is a non-profit company and not affiliated with Wayne County government. Wayne Metro already serves as the CAA for all Wayne County communities outside Detroit.

The Detroit Department of Human Services (not affiliated with Michigan DHS) formerly acted as the Community Action Agency for the City of Detroit. As a result of significant programmatic issues that came to light in 2011 and 2012, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and City Council, working with Michigan DHS, agreed to voluntarily release the community action agency designation of Detroit DHS in order to bring about positive future change in forming a new Detroit based CAA.

Detroit DHS' status as the CAA for the city will come to an end officially when it ceases operations March 31, 2013. In reality, Detroit DHS has been non-operational for some time, resulting in a lack of $5 million for city residents in poverty.

"While the situation as it occurred with Detroit DHS was regrettable, we had no choice but to proceed in the manner in which we did," said Maura Corrigan, DHS Director. "I am confident that, in time, we will have a new and permanent CAA for the City of Detroit, one that the people will have faith in. Until then, Wayne Metro will provide the kind of outstanding customer service that Detroiters deserve."

Wayne Metro has been providing weatherization services for Detroit over the past year, having already assumed that responsibility from Detroit DHS. Now, Wayne Metro will undertake a broader array of services, with oversight by the state, in assisting the city of Detroit and its citizens going forward.

Wayne Metro proposes enhancing services to now include help with food assistance, rent/mortgage assistance, emergency utility assistance, transportation help, and will feature a centralized call center for information and referral.

Wayne Metro is a CAA with an outstanding track record of service. As interim CAA for the city, Detroit residents working with Wayne Metro can look forward to: 

• Strong skill and knowledge of the client population it will serve. 
• Professional staff highly trained to work with low-income clients. 
• New sites located near public transportation.
• Staff members who are fluent in Spanish, Arabic and Bengali. 
• A new website specific to the Detroit project. 
• And much more.

As this current arrangement is an interim one, Michigan DHS and Wayne Metro will work during the coming months to establish a new private non-profit community action agency that will be based in the city of Detroit.

For more information on the Department of Human Services, please visit www.michigan.gov/dhs.

For more information on Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, please visit www.waynemetro.org.