Joel Haashiim says it’s time to take Detroit’s assets—and its water—back

Detroiter to Detroiter | Joel Haashiim: ?We need to take our water back?

Mayoral candidate Joel Haashiim told Hilary Golston that Detroit is being shortchanged by the Great Lakes Water Authority. ?It?s a billion dollar asset they took from Detroit,? he said, adding that he wants to adjust water rates to make them fair. Haashiim also points to his background in housing and international business as key to attracting up to 450,000 new residents and revitalizing the city?s economy.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Mayoral candidate Joel Haashiim says the city of Detroit has been systemically weakened—not just through economic decline, but through the loss of ownership over its most vital assets.

"I think the Great Lakes Water Authority has not given Detroit its just due," Haashiim told FOX 2’s Hilary Golston. "I think we need to take our water back. It’s a billion dollar asset they took from Detroit."

Big picture view:

He wants to see water rates adjusted to better reflect what he believes is Detroiters’ rightful stake in the system. "It’s not fair," he said. "We’re facing federal cuts. State cuts. Every municipal needs to be able to stand on its own."

Haashiim says the regional water system—which was restructured as part of Detroit’s bankruptcy—is emblematic of a broader trend: Detroit’s transformation into what has been described as a public-private partnership, where city assets were traded away under financial duress. As part of the so-called Grand Bargain, Detroit gave up operational control of its regional water system by creating the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) in 2014, leasing the assets for $50 million annually. The goal was to stabilize services across southeast Michigan and help the city shed more than $7 billion in debt. But critics, like Haashiim, say the city lost too much.

"Our assets need to come back to the city," he said. "Detroit’s assets. The spirit of Detroit. The culture of Detroit—you’ve stripped it. You’ve weakened the community."

He also wants a full reassessment of the GLWA deal, including the potential for renegotiation or returning control of the system to Detroit. Haashiim points to widespread complaints of flooding, shutoffs, and rate hikes. "If they don’t solve your problem, those municipals have to step up and solve their own problems."

Haashiim believes a fair water system is just one part of reversing Detroit’s economic decline. He says the city needs to rapidly grow its population—targeting between 400,000 to 450,000 new residents. His approach hinges on solving Detroit’s housing crisis by leaning on one of his core skill sets.

"I have three skill sets that Detroit needs. One of them is housing," Haashiim said. "I have expertise in housing, building concepts. I’ve sold those concepts… went around the world, across this country selling building systems."

He says he knows how to mass-produce high-quality homes, and wants to bring that model to Detroit to spur affordable development at scale.

Local perspective:

Haashiim also wants to bring economic diversity to the city. He says he’s led 15 international trade and business delegations involving major institutions like Comerica Bank, General Motors, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. "You’ve got to start the facilitation of an opportunity," he said of his vision for Detroit’s global trade strategy. "You’ve got to look at these companies in these other countries and see how they can prosper in Detroit, and you’ve got to do the same thing domestically."

Haashiim also says Detroiters are being left out of the so-called comeback narrative. The city’s poverty rate remains too high for most. He says most Detroiters can’t afford to enjoy the downtown resurgence often celebrated by politicians and developers. "Most Detroiters cannot go downtown, buy expensive tickets, eat downtown, [and] pay 25, 35, 45 dollars for parking."

"What did the Detroit taxpayer get for their dollar?" he asked, referring to the post-bankruptcy development change. For Haashiim, the answer is still unclear—and he believes restoring economic justice begins with reclaiming what was given away.

The Source: FOX 2 used reporting from previous stories and interviewed the mayoral candidate.

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