DETROIT – The City of Detroit is considering an ordinance that would allow residents to keep chickens, ducks and honeybees.
The proposal would legalize animal keeping for chickens, ducks and honeybees, but not goats or sheep, which were removed from the proposal due to community feedback.
The city said the proposal would not include pigs, cattle, wasps, hornets or other aggressive insects, mass animal farming, nor would it legalize farm animals as pets.
City officials said the proposal would help mitigate food scarcity in Detroit and provide economic opportunities for Detroiters.
The proposal has been under consideration for more than a decade and was originally a part of the Urban Agriculture Ordinance that passed in 2013, but was made its own proposal to allow research and fine-tuning.
Detroit resident Tiffany Pilson already has chickens and strongly supports this ordinance.
“Eggs went up to 4 or 5 dollars a dozen, that’s ridiculous, most people in this area can’t afford that,” said Pilson.
If the ordinance passes, she’ll also look into keeping bees.
“We need the honeybees not just for the honey, but they are very important pollinators,” Pilson said.
The Detroit City Planning Commission will have a public meeting regarding the proposal on Feb. 22. More information can be found here.
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