Detroit wants to seize drug houses, put them up for auction

DETROIT – Detroit leaders detailed a plan Tuesday to seize known drug houses and put them up for sale in the city's land bank.

Beginning this week, the city said it would file suit to seize any house that is raided more than once for drugs in order to auction it off.

The Detroit Police Department is sharing addresses of houses where drug raids have occurred with the Detroit Land Bank. Once the city's land bank takes title to a drug house, Mayor Mike Duggan said it will be added to the inventory of homes being auctioned at BuildingDetroit.org.

"Neighbors have put up with the endless cycle of drug raids at the same houses for too long and watched their communities decline as a result," Duggan said. "The only effective way to end this cycle is to get these properties into the hands of new owners who will not allow this to happen anymore."

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