Detroiters refute population drop report

While construction has been booming in recent years in Detroit, the city's population has yet to rebound. The mayor's office is ready to refute the census data and says the city is actually growing.

According to Alexis Wiley, the chief of staff for Mayor Mike Duggan, the data that was released on Wednesday that shows a loss of 3,541 residents, is already dated. The city is now the 23rd largest city in the country.

"We peaked in 1950 and have been dropping ever since," Wiley said.

The mayor's office says that number is wrong and some residents of the city agree.

"I don't know that I believe those numbers," Arden Park resident Adam Hollier said. "I don't know that we've had really good numbers about how many people really are in Detroit, whether that's 5 years ago, 10 years ago, or today."

New figures show Detroit's population continues to decline, but may show promise

In 1990, the city of Detroit had 1 million people living within city limits. It's been on the decline since then and last year, was about 670,000. However, there are neighborhoods in Detroit where the population, and the mood, is getting better.

"When I moved here seven years ago there were five vacant houses on my block. Now, there are none," Hollier said.

Arden Park, the neighborhood just east of Woodward and Boston Edison, has 14homes in that neighborhood.

A few streets north of Historic Boston Edison, Lawrence Street has a Boston Edison feel, but it's a lot more manageable.  

"We do have people moving in but it's still a nice quiet street," Lawrence Street resident Sandra Nobel said. "It's coming back. Detroit is coming back. What can I say?"

The Detroit Land Bank is selling homes that are are in cool areas but need work. No matter how you slice it, they're being sold.

Then there's one of the hottest neighborhoods around: West Village. Just west of Indian Village in the Van Dyke and Jefferson area.

"I love it, I absolutely love it," Chelsa Carnill said about West Village. "It's very creative, there are entrepreneurs, a good mix of people, there's lots going on."

Six months ago there were five apartment vacancies. On May 25, there are none.

Now there are reports of housing shortages in Midtown, downtown and in other places.

"You get the same thing on Atkinson, Rosedale Park.  There's a cool space in the city for everybody," Hollier said.