A tenants’ advocacy group is calling for the city to acquire Leland House through eminent domain and convert the site into permanent affordable housing.
Displaced residents haven’t been able to return since a power failure caused a mandatory evacuation of the building in November. The Detroit Tenants Union sent a letter to Mayor Mary Sheffield and City Council suggesting the building could be stabilized if placed into public hands.
Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett Jr. said seizing the building through eminent domain or purchasing it should be carefully considered by council members.
“The legislative body must decide if there is a sufficient public purpose for the use of eminent domain,” Mallett said in a statement. “Buying a building requiring tens of millions of dollars in repairs might not be deemed a good use of public dollars to simply in the short term help a private group pay their debts.”
Steven Rimmer, director of the Detroit Tenants Union, told the council on Tuesday that negligent landlords repeatedly create housing crises. Rimmer said the city should end this cycle by acquiring Leland House. A federal bankruptcy case is ongoing to determine future ownership of the 22-story building.
Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero asked the Legislative Policy Division to study options for obtaining ownership of housing properties that go through bankruptcy.
The City Council also sought an update on other residents who were relocated by the city after the Buildings Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED) issued emergency orders to vacate a westside building. Cryptocurrency real estate company ReaIT owns a 26-unit building in the Dexter-Linwood neighborhood that lacks water and heat after a water line broke.
City officials said four households were relocated to hotels and provided case workers through the Housing and Revitalization Department. Council Member Renata Miller said most tenants had left by the time city officials arrived to offer help.
“We just don’t want to find that some of these residents are in a place that is not safe, they may be out in the cold somewhere, or turned away from a shelter,” Miller said. “So it is our job to find where they are, and that includes getting a roster from the owner of how many were actually there before the heat went out.”
Council Member Angela Whitfield-Calloway expressed frustration that tenants have been housed in hotels outside of Detroit when their apartments are vacated. She said people living in Greenhouse Apartments were housed in Livonia after the heat went out last year, causing transportation problems.
What page are we on?
Today’s newsletter covers the Feb. 10 formal session.
Dig into the agenda, read Detroit Documenter notes or watch the recording for more details.
Want this in your inbox? Sign up for free news.
Get caught up: In Monday’s newsletter, we explored why Mayor Mary Sheffield promoted citizen participation in city spending, with an eye on her upcoming budget.
Overheard in CAYMC
Here’s a quick look at some other pieces of news.
Election watch: Democrats will choose between two young candidates in the 1st District state Senate primary. Former state Rep. Abraham Aiyash launched his campaign Monday at an event in Detroit. Detroit Small Business Affairs Director Justin Onwenu had his own Monday news to share, announcing endorsements from five of nine City Council members. Aiyash’s event was attended by Council Member Denzel McCampbell.
Aiyash started the year with a fundraising advantage. Aiyash had $143,753 in his campaign account at the end of the year, while Onwenu had $83,131 to spend. Aiyash and Onwenu are using social media videos to speak directly to voters.
The district covers a portion of west Detroit and extends southeast into Downriver communities, including River Rouge, Ecorse, Lincoln Park and Taylor.
The Law Department answered questions about police interaction with ICE operations, but the memo is confidential. It’s a response to questions posed by Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romerol, who raised reports from residents alleging Detroit police supported ICE enforcement. She will seek to publicize the Law Department opinion, which requires a vote of the council.
Council President James Tate said officials aren’t “poking the bear” by forecasting its approach to ICE but are “ready to kick butt” if immigration enforcement starts to look like Minneapolis or Los Angeles. In an interview with the Detroit News, Tate also discusses his approach to involving residents in government decisions.
Santiago-Romero and Detroit state lawmakers are calling for the release of two people who were detained by ICE while heading into work at an Amazon warehouse in Hazel Park. State Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, said Edwin Vladimir Romero Gutierrez and Angel Junior Rincon-Perez have work authorization, Temporary Protected Status and were seeking legal asylum in the United States.
Both men were transported to the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin. According to the letter, neither man has a criminal history, and both were following the immigration process. Their detention leaves two families without income.
Volunteers are needed for a Community Emergency Response Team. Sign up here for a free four-day training class starting Feb. 19. Volunteers will learn basic medical treatment, disaster preparedness and life-saving techniques from the Detroit Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
Don’t miss your chance to appeal your tax assessment
The City of Detroit is reminding residents of a key opportunity to appeal their property tax assessment.
Detroiters can file an appeal with the Office of the Assessor by Feb. 22 to challenge their current-year assessment. Appeals can be submitted online, by letter, or in person on Monday through Thursday at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center.
The Coalition for Property Tax Justice is offering free appeal assistance for residents who call (313) 438-8698. Residents can learn more about the process by contacting the assessor’s office at AsktheAssessor@detroitmi.gov.