Welcome back. I’m still Malachi Barrett.

Disastrous flooding caused by a water infrastructure failure that displaced around a hundred Detroiters in freezing temperatures is forcing a broader discussion on housing stability.

A 54-inch water transmission line broke around 2 a.m. on Monday, unleashing a torrent of water into a Southwest Detroit neighborhood north of I-75 near Roberto Clemente Learning Academy. Residents were evacuated, sometimes on inflatable boats, from icy floodwaters that reached up to 5 feet in some places.

Uninsured damages will be covered by Great Lakes Water Authority and the city of Detroit. Call (313) 774-5261 to start the process. Residents can file a claim to have their basements cleaned and replace hot water heaters, boilers, furnaces and other appliances.

Mayor Mike Duggan said 398 homes are in the impact area. Duggan said 63 adults, 31 children and 13 pets were evacuated by emergency responders. By Tuesday, the focus shifted from rescue to providing services. 

There are 83 families staying in hotels paid by the city, but Duggan said around 60% of residents remain in their houses because most have power. There were 190 houses with flooded basements, 174 with no heat, and 72 without power.

“You can stay in that hotel until the water is gone from your basement and your power and your heat are back on,” Duggan said Tuesday. “In some cases, that may be relatively soon. It may take a month, but you can stay in that hotel until your house is ready for you to move all the way back in.”

It could be a costly incident for Detroit, which pledged to reimburse residents for uninsured damages in partnership with the Great Lakes Water Authority. A damage estimate isn’t yet available.

Duggan said city inspectors will visit all 398 houses during the next three days. Those with insurance should file a claim, Duggan said, and the city will pick up the cost of whatever isn’t covered.

Water had largely receded by Tuesday, according to city officials. Left in its place are a lot of questions.

GLWA Chief Resiliency Officer Todd King said an area around the pipe is being excavated and inspected to determine what caused the break. Detroit Water and Sewerage Department Director Gary Brown said “it’s way too early” to say.

“We haven’t even laid eyes on the broken pipe yet because of all the debris that’s in the hole, and we’ll have a better assessment of what happened and why it happened in the coming days,” Brown said.

City officials praised the quick response to shelter flooded residents but some argued the same energy hasn’t gone to addressing citywide homelessness.

Several residents said the flood and deaths last week of two unhoused children who froze to death in a casino parking garage are examples of how the city is far from a turnaround. Resident Richard Clay said the two incidents “blow open the lie about how the Duggan turnaround of this city has helped us all.”

Adam Barrett, an activist with Detroiters for Tax Justice, said throwing tax incentives at developers to build affordable housing hasn’t ended rampant homelessness and child poverty. He noted there are 116 vacant homes for each unhoused person in Detroit.

“Whoever is calling this a Detroit rebirth is ignoring the inequality of starving and freezing people right in front of our own damn eyes,” he told council members. “This is a moral outrage of historic proportions and if you aren’t fighting against this apartheid then it’s your legacy, especially if you’re running for mayor.”

Rhonda Adams said funding for flood mitigation should be boosted in the city’s next fiscal budget. Duggan will release his 2025-26 budget recommendations on Feb. 28.

Council Member Coleman Young II said the flood is “unacceptable by any stretch of the imagination.”

“We have to be able to say something more to the public than ‘this is just going to happen,'” Young said. “We have to be able to do something to prevent this from going on.”

Brown briefed the council Tuesday, at one point pushing back on claims that the century-old water system has been neglected. He said more than $1 billion is being spent on capital improvements, but it’s difficult to inspect mains because of the intense pressure of water inside.

Detroit’s capital agenda shows it costs $1.2 million to replace one mile of water main. Roughly $92 million has been allocated for water main replacement projects in the 2025 fiscal year.

The transmission line in Southwest Detroit was laid in 1930, raising questions about whether the age of the infrastructure or harsh temperatures are more to blame for the break. Water main breaks aren’t uncommon in winter, as pipes become stressed by soil expansion and contraction. Brown said even newer pipes can break in the winter. 

“I can assure you that we have a capital improvement program that identifies assets that need to be rehabilitated and that will come along the way in identifying lines,” Brown said. “We’ve done the repairs before breaks take place, but there will be other water breaks.”

Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero, who represents residents impacted by the flood, said the City Council hasn’t received information about the overall plan to replace water mains.

“We have old infrastructure, and we have climate change, and we’re not having enough money to put into these systems, and we have a federal government that is divesting in infrastructure,” Santiago-Romero said. “So until we embed a ton of money into this aging infrastructure, it’s going to continue.”

Council Member Fred Durhal III said Detroit will see more situations like this without “a real plan” to upgrade infrastructure. Investment can’t happen without support from the federal government, he said.

“As we look at I-375 and other projects, I’d rather take that money and put it into fixing some of these broken pipes,” Durhal said.

Durhal, who is running for mayor in 2025, said he doesn’t blame Brown. Durhal said he “can’t necessarily say” he would replace Brown if elected.

“The director doesn’t control the broken infrastructure, that’s something that predates the appointment of that director,” Durhal said. “There’s got to be a real conversation with the federal government, saying we need this (funding) now.”

Detroit has 2,700 miles of water distribution mains and 3,000 miles of sewer infrastructure in its water system.

DWSD is responsible for maintaining water and sewer infrastructure within the city’s borders. The Great Lakes Water Authority leases the system from DWSD and is responsible for operating water and wastewater treatment facilities.

Brown said government entities like GLWA would typically try to avoid liability and claim immunity, but he thought it was important to “do right by” Detroiters. He wanted GLWA to take on a larger share of reimbursement costs, but agreed to a 50/50 split with the city.

Council Member Latisha Johnson wants to create a disaster recovery task force to help coordinate resources during future emergencies.

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What page are we on?

Today’s notebook covers the Feb. 18 formal session.

Dig into the agenda, read Detroit Documenter notes or watch the recording for more details.

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Subscribe to BridgeDetroit’s YouTube channel to be there when the first show drops.

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Renters want eviction protections 

Around a dozen residents associated with the Detroit Tenants Association are pushing to prevent tenants from being denied the chance to renew their lease.

Council President Mary Sheffield said she’s working with the Law Department to draft a ”right to renew” ordinance. She’s been trying for several years to introduce a proposal based on an ordinance passed in Ann Arbor.

The Ann Arbor law was the first of its kind in Michigan and requires landlords to offer tenants a lease renewal 180 days prior to their lease end date. It also prohibits landlords from denying a renewal without just cause. Landlords who don’t comply can be responsible for paying tenants’ relocation fees.

Steven Rimmer, an organizer with the Detroit Tenants Association, said the ordinance could prevent unnecessary evictions. He noted the death of Sherman Butler, who was shot by a bailiff during an eviction in July 2024.

“Could this ordinance have prevented their evictions and saved their lives?” Rimmer said. “We’ll never know, but that’s what haunts me.”

Katie O’Donnel, a member of the Detroit Tenants Association, said a building she was living in was bought last October by a company that owns properties across the country. O’Donnel said out of state landlords don’t have the best interests of Detroit residents at heart.

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Community tool bank under assembly

The City Council approved two contracts to create a community tool bank for residents and neighborhood groups.

A $90,000 contract with Bailey Park Neighborhood Development Corporation and $150,000 contract with Premier Group Associates will establish the program.

Block clubs and community groups registered with the Department of Neighborhoods can sign up for a free membership.

Equipment can also be used by volunteers participating in clean-up and beautification projects, like the winter volunteer snow removal team. Other details are being finalized. Hand tools, power tools and gardening tools are required under the contract.

Ray Solomon, director of the Department of Neighborhoods, said the snow team was activated during the weekend to shovel driveways and sidewalks for 200 seniors and disabled residents. But the group could have used more shovels and snow blowers, he said.

Carhartt also offers free tool rentals and education programs from its location on Cass Avenue.

The East Warren Tool Library rents equipment and offers training workshops from MorningSide neighborhood. Memberships start at $150.

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Grant covers Jefferson-Chalmers flood study

A $1 million grant will help pay for a flood mitigation study in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood. 

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation grant is meant to improve water infrastructure to safeguard against future flooding. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will conduct the flood mitigation study.

This study should take 12-16 months, according to city officials. GLWA is conducting a wider study on flooding that includes the Jefferson Chalmers area but could take 7-10 years to finish. 

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Safer west side streets    

A $2.9 million grant will help the city make safety improvements on parts of West Jefferson Avenue and Rosa Parks Boulevard.

The Michigan Department of Transportation awarded the grant to Detroit, which will spend $1.4 million in city funds.

The $4.4 million project includes narrowing vehicle lanes, adding a protected two-way bike path, improved pedestrian crossings and updated traffic signals.

Rosa Parks Boulevard will be upgraded from Fort Street to West Jefferson Avenue.

West Jefferson Avenue will be upgraded from Rosa Parks Boulevard to 8th Street.

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Todd Bettison confirmed as police chief

The City Council unanimously voted to confirm Todd Bettison as the next chief of police.

Council members praised Bettison, who served 27 years with the police department before becoming deputy mayor.

Young said Bettison has stepped up to solve cases and stand up important programs like the “ShotStoppers” Community Violence Intervention initiative.

Council members said Bettison has a strong record of trying to improve community relations. Bettison said Tuesday that he plans to learn Spanish in his spare time.

Council Member Angela Whitfield-Calloway called on Bettison to reduce lawsuits against police officers that result in thousands of dollars in legal settlements being approved every week.

Bettison said he will implement new technology to prevent emergency response vehicles from colliding with other cars.

Bettison has served as interim chief since November 2024. He would earn a starting salary of $243,152 – the same as his predecessor James White – and serve an initial term of two years if approved by the council.