Detroit youth horse camp could lasso $2.5 million from the 2026 budget

A Michigan lawmaker asked taxpayers to spend $2.5 million to build a horse education center in Detroit. She sat on the board of the organization but recently resigned.

Rep. Helena Scott, D-Detroit, requested $2.5 million in the 2026 state budget for Detroit Horse Power, a nonprofit youth program. She resigned to prevent a conflict of interest, she told Michigan Capitol Confidential in a phone interview.

A compilation of budget requests mentioned that Scott was on the board of Detroit Horse Power. Her request is one among hundreds submitted by House members, which so far total $4 billion.

The youth education organization also received $1 million from state taxpayers in 2023, as previously reported by CapCon.

The nonprofit organization’s mission, according to a federal filing made available through GuideStar, is to teach valuable skills to the city’s vulnerable population by using horses and vacant land. It received its 501(c)3 nonprofit status in 2015.

Scott’s legislative request reads in part:

“This legislatively directed spending item will provide the necessary resources to complete construction of an urban equestrian education center where Detroit Horse Power has partnered with Detroit Public Schools Community District to expand proven skill-building programming for under-resourced youth. As a result, thousands of students who ordinarily would not be able to access the benefits of horses will be able to learn and grow through partnering with these amazing animals each year. Ultimately, youth in these programs will graduate high school with a choice of college or career, setting them up for successful family-sustaining employment. Furthermore, constructing this unmatched facility on a 14-acre vacant property will strengthen Detroit’s communities and enhance the vibrant neighborhoods that families need to thrive.”

The nonprofit reported $3.6 million in contributions in 2023, according to its federal Form 990. It received $2.1 million in 2022.

Detroit Horse Power also reported that the “value of services or facilities furnished by a governmental unit to the organization without charge” totaled $1.95 million in 2021 and $3.6 million in 2022.

Detroit Horse Power had 40 youth enrolled in its after-school program in 2023, and 68 people attended camping events, according to its annual report.

“Detroit Horse Power (DHP) empowers urban youth by teaching them to ride and care for horses, providing a unique opportunity to develop critical life skills that foster academic achievement, career readiness, and long-term success,” Scott told CapCon in an email.

Taxpayers funded $2 billion worth of legislative requests in 2023-24 and $1 billion in the 2024-25 budget.

CapCon reports annually on earmarks requested by lawmakers. The stories do not attempt to evaluate the quality or merits of any organization’s work.

The Mackinac Center for Public Policy filed a lawsuit on May 20 against the Department of Labor and Economic Development over two earmarks approved by the Legislature in 2024. The lawsuit claims that most earmarks are unconstitutional.