Housing aid draws crowd in Detroit

"It's a sign of the times, and we can't deny we have people here who are in need," said Karen Dumas, communications director for Mayor Dave Bing. "It's scary and very disappointing. It also shows a need for redirection for our city."

(...) One in four working-age adults in Detroit are without a job, and the city's home foreclosure rate continues to be among the nation's highest. One in four families and three out of every 10 individuals live below the poverty level, according to the U.S. Census.

Detroit's Planning & Development Department planned to pass out 5,000 applications to those standing in line. Wednesday's line of applicants snaked back and forth inside Cobo Center, down the street outside and around the corner. By midmorning, the mayor's office was asking people not to head to the application site.

The assistance is paid from the city on the applicants' behalf directly to agencies like the Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS), an agency that pays for transitional housing for the homeless.