City Council District 6 | City of Detroit

Gabriela Santiago-Romero is from Mexico and was raised in Southwest Detroit. She has a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan.

Gabriela is a policy and research director. 

Gabriela is currently a Detroit City Council Member for District 6. She was elected in 2021 and is serving her first term. 

As a city council member, supported the passage of an Industry Standards Board to set benchmarks for pay, health, and safety for stadium laborers at Little Caesars Arena, Ford Field, and Comerica Park.

Supported creating an Industry Standards Board to set fair pay, health, and safety rules for stadium workers at Little Caesars Arena, Ford Field, and Comerica Park.

Joined workers and labor organizations at the picket line to support fair wages and contracts for Detroit workers and union members.

Joined workers and unions on the picket line to support fair wages and contracts.

Passed an ordinance to combat fugitive dust pollution near industrial sites, protecting workers from airborne hazards in facilities like scrapyards and concrete plants.

Passed an ordinance to reduce dust pollution near industrial sites, protecting workers from unsafe air.

Supports responsible contracting to benefit organized labor groups.

Supports responsible contracting that benefits organized labor.

- Supported creating an Industry Standards Board to set fair pay, health, and safety rules for stadium workers at Little Caesars Arena, Ford Field, and Comerica Park.
- Joined workers and unions on the picket line to support fair wages and contracts.
- Passed an ordinance to reduce dust pollution near industrial sites, protecting workers from unsafe air.
- Supports responsible contracting that benefits organized labor.

Economy

Redirected American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to assist Detroiters facing eviction, launch home repair grants, and develop affordable housing.

Redirected ARPA funds to support eviction prevention, home repair, and affordable housing.

Supports lowering housing costs by incentivizing new housing, supporting affordable housing, and revitalizing vacant properties.

Supports lowering housing costs by incentivizing new development, preserving affordable housing, and reusing vacant properties.

Supports expanding zoning laws to include duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes which can lower housing costs and allow residents to rent the extra property.

Supports updating zoning laws to allow duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes to increase affordable rental options.

- Redirected ARPA funds to support eviction prevention, home repair, and affordable housing.
- Supports lowering housing costs by incentivizing new development, preserving affordable housing, and reusing vacant properties.
- Supports updating zoning laws to allow duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes to increase affordable rental options.

Housing & Urban Development

Supports limiting local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

Supports creating a Violence Prevention and Community Care Office to research community-based approaches for reducing gun violence.

Supports creating a Violence Prevention and Community Care Office to research community-based ways to reduce gun violence.

As city council member, added $3 million to the budget to expand the Community Violence Intervention program.

As a city council member, added $3 million to the budget to expand the Community Violence Intervention program.

Advocates for the creation of an Office of Violence Prevention.

Advocates for a permanent Office of Violence Prevention.

- Supports limiting local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
- Supports creating a Violence Prevention and Community Care Office to research community-based ways to reduce gun violence.
- As a city council member, added $3 million to the budget to expand the Community Violence Intervention program.
- Advocates for a permanent Office of Violence Prevention.

Public Safety

Supports investing in public health, such as conducting annual pollution-health studies to enforce air-quality protections.

Supports investing in public health, including annual pollution-health studies to enforce clean air protections.

- Supports investing in public health, including annual pollution-health studies to enforce clean air protections.

Healthcare

Supports the restart of Detroit's municipal ID program, making photo IDs available to all residents, including those experiencing homelessness or without documentation, to access banking, utilities, and city services.

Supports the municipal ID program, giving all residents, including undocumented and unhoused people, access to banking, utilities, and city services.

Passed a language ordinance requiring city communications, services, and public materials be accessible in the languages most commonly spoken in Detroit.

Passed a language access ordinance requiring city services and communications to be available in Detroit’s most commonly spoken languages.

- Supports the municipal ID program, giving all residents, including undocumented and unhoused people, access to banking, utilities, and city services.
- Passed a language access ordinance requiring city services and communications to be available in Detroit’s most commonly spoken languages.

Public Services

Supports community-centered solar energy development.

Believes in using community-driven solutions to address environmental harms, such as collecting residents' input for the 2024 Southwest Detroit Truck Route Implementation Study to re-route trucks away from residential neighborhoods.

Believes in community-driven solutions to environmental problems, such as re-routing truck traffic away from neighborhoods in the 2024 Southwest Detroit Truck Route Study.

Supports community engagement in green space, tree-canopy expansion, and climate-resilient neighborhood design.

Supports expanding green space, tree cover, and climate-resilient neighborhood design.

- Supports community-centered solar energy development.
- Believes in community-driven solutions to environmental problems, such as re-routing truck traffic away from neighborhoods in the 2024 Southwest Detroit Truck Route Study.
- Supports expanding green space, tree cover, and climate-resilient neighborhood design.

Energy & the Environment

As a city council member, spearheaded the proposal for a Fort Street "road diet" study, urging the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to examine redesigning this six-lane corridor into a pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly thoroughfare to curb speeding and traffic collisions.

Spearheaded a proposal for a Fort Street “road diet” study, urging state officials to redesign the six-lane corridor to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

Believes in strengthening partnerships with local businesses, community organizations, and leaders to gather insights for future infrastructure opportunities and needs.

Supports gathering input from local businesses, community groups, and residents when planning infrastructure projects.

Supports improving public transportation.

- Spearheaded a proposal for a Fort Street “road diet” study, urging state officials to redesign the six-lane corridor to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Supports gathering input from local businesses, community groups, and residents when planning infrastructure projects.
- Supports improving public transportation.

Transportation & Infrastructure

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Gabriela Santiago-Romero

Gabriela Santiago-Romero is from Southwest Detroit. She has a master of social work in social policy and evaluation with a focus on community and social systems from the University of Michigan.

Gabriela is a policy and research director. She worked at a state-based movement organization. Before joining Detroit City Council, she served as the student union president at the University of Michigan's School of Social Work.

Gabriela is currently a Detroit City Council Member for District 6. She was elected in 2021 and is serving her first term. She chairs the Public Health and Safety Committee and is co-chair of the city’s Immigration Task Force and the Equitable Development Task Force. Before joining the Detroit City Council, Gabriela was the Student Union President during her graduate studies at the University of Michigan.

Redirected American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to assist Detroit residents facing eviction, launch home repair grants, and develop affordable housing.

As a city council member, redirected American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to assist Detroit residents facing eviction, launch home repair grants, and develop affordable housing.

Advocates for and assists residents in case of evictions and foreclosures.

Supports expanding renters rights in the city.

As a city council member, co-sponsored a budget initiative to add $2 million to address home repair and revitalization.

Supports the municipal ID program, which provides photo IDs to all residents, including undocumented and homeless individuals, to access banking, utilities, and city services.

Redirected American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to assist residents facing eviction, launch home repair grants, and develop affordable housing.

Supported the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) "PRO Housing Grant" to address affordable housing production and preservation.

Passed a language ordinance to ensure city communications and services are accessible in the most commonly spoken languages in Detroit.

Supports annual pollution-health studies to enforce air-quality protections.

Supports the HUD "PRO Housing Grant" to address affordable housing production and preservation.

Supports using community-driven solutions to address environmental harms, such as collecting residents' input for the 2024 Southwest Detroit Truck Route Implementation Study to re-route trucks away from residential neighborhoods.

- City council members in Michigan help make city-level laws, approve budgets, and oversee city services to serve the community’s needs. 
- Council members attend regular meetings, listen to public concerns, and vote on city issues like zoning, public safety, and spending. They also appoint and direct officials, like the city manager.
- City council members may be elected in partisan elections or nonpartisan elections, depending on the city. They may represent either the whole city or residents of a specific district. 
- Terms for city council members often last two or four years, depending on the city.