City of Detroit to offer Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 5-11 starting Nov. 8

The City of Detroit will provide the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 5-11 beginning November 8. Dosing for children ages 5-11 will be one-third that of adults (10 micrograms vs. 30 micrograms), delivered in a two-dose series three weeks apart. Approval of the vaccine for children of this age group has been highly anticipated for months.

The Detroit Health Department is offering COVID-19 vaccinations by appointment only to children ages 5-11 at the following locations by calling (313) 230-0505:

The Detroit Health Department Immunization Clinic, 100 Mack Avenue

• Monday – Friday from 4 – 8 p.m.
• Children can get up to date on all their vaccines at this location during one appointment

Northwest Activities Center, 18100 Meyers Road

• Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

In addition, vaccinations for ages 12 and older are available at locations across the city.  Go to detroitmi.gov for information on COVID-19 vaccines and locations.

This Sunday, November 7 marks the end of Daylight Saving Time. In an effort to save lives and prevent injuries, the City of Detroit Fire Department encourages residents to change their smoke alarm batteries when they change their clocks as part of the Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery campaign.

Smoke alarms provide an early warning of a fire, giving people critical additional escape time.

A report by the National Fire Protection Association, “Smoke Alarms in U.S. Home Fires,” which captured national data over a four-year period, illustrates the critical role smoke alarms play in protecting lives from the dangers of fires:

• Only 53 percent of home fires reported to U.S. fire departments had operating smoke alarms.
• Three of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms (38 percent) or no working smoke alarms (21 percent).
• The death rate per 100 reported home fires was more than twice as high in homes that did not have any working smoke alarms compared to homes with working smoke alarms.

DDOT rider alert: Veterans Day Parade and the 4-Star 4-Mile Run reroutes

On Sunday, November 07, 2021, the Metropolitan Detroit Veterans Coalition will host the 7th Annual Metropolitan Detroit Veterans Day Parade and “The 4 Star 4 Mile Run.” The parade will step off on Michigan at Abbott Ave. from approximately 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The following routes will have detours: Vernor, Michigan and Linwood.

For full information on the routes, visit the City’s Website at Veterans Day Parade (detroitmi.gov)

Deadline for Detroiters to receive monthly Child Tax Credit payments is Nov. 15; City urges residents to sign up now

• Eligible families can receive up to $3,600 for every child in household

• Free tax filing help available by calling 211 or visiting GetTheTaxFacts.org

As the November 15 deadline approaches, the City of Detroit is urging families to sign up to receive monthly Child Tax Credit payments.

The American Rescue Plan Act temporarily increased the Child Tax Credit to provide monthly payments to families with children ($300 for children under age 6 and $250 for children ages 6-17). If families miss the deadline, they will have to wait until they file taxes in Spring of 2022 to sign up to receive the one-time credit in a lump sum.

Thousands of Detroit families have already taken advantage of this monthly benefit. The Child Tax Credit has proven to drastically reduce child poverty by providing money directly to families. Survey data demonstrates most families are using the payments to buy food, clothing, and school-related items.

For eligibility and additional information, please visit the City’s website at: Deadline for Child Tax Credit payments is Nov. 15 (detroitmi.gov)

200+ landlords attend workshop to learn about amended Rental Ordinance focused on lead safety

More than 200 landlords in October attended the Landlord Educational Forum hosted by the City’s Buildings, Safety Engineering & Environmental Department (BSEED) and learned about a variety of topics, including compliance, lead grants and abatement, housing vouchers, blight tickets and the amended rental ordinance recently passed by City Council. The large number of participants in the virtual workshop showcased the importance of landlords working with the City to ensure Detroit access to quality, lead-safe housing.

The updated rental ordinance was adopted based on the recommendation of BSEED, which had incorporated significant input from landlords and advocates. Under the new guidelines, the City of Detroit maintains its role as one of the strictest in the nation on requiring lead compliance from landlords.

BSEED staff surveyed approximately 20 other major cities and found that Detroit was the only one to require regular risk assessment analyses for rental properties.

For the full story and information, visit the City’s Website at: Amended Rental Ordinance (detroitmi.gov)