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Homeless under gun in trendy Detroit area

DETROIT, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- The revival of a downtown Detroit neighborhood is pushing out the poor and homeless, some residents say.

"Some people don't like having us around," Delbert Stinson, a homeless man who has lived in Corktown for 15 years, told The Detroit News.

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The city's oldest neighborhood has suddenly bloomed with new restaurants and developments, and some see a concerted effort to expel the homeless, the newspaper reported Monday.

Charles Duncan, a homeless man, was beaten with a baseball bat Oct. 6. Steve Diponio, who pleaded not guilty, allegedly told police he was tired of homeless people sleeping near his house.

"There's an effort by some developers and residents to get rid of the homeless people in Corktown," said Jeff DeBruyn, who helps run a church soup kitchen. "We've definitely seen an increase in hostility toward them."

"It's a culture clash," said Paul Gibson. "This neighborhood has a lot of [social service] agencies; that's why there's a lot of homeless people. It's been like that for a long time, but some people want to get us out of here."

Corktown, anchored by the former Tiger Stadium and the Michigan Central Depot, has been talked about as a potential site for redevelopment for years.

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