Residents of Detroit's historic Leland House plan to stage a rally on Saturday, citing what they call a "hostile takeover" by city officials who allegedly blocked them from retrieving their belongings after a sudden evacuation earlier this month.
The tenants claim that the fire department ordered them out of the 20-story apartment building without giving them sufficient notice or allowing them to gather essential items. The evacuation occurred during extremely cold weather, leaving residents without heat, lights, or elevators.
Daryl Stewart, a 67-year-old artist and percussionist who has lived in the building since 2012, expressed frustration over being forced to leave behind artwork, laptops, and his home recording studio. He said he was told to "let's go" by city officials without giving him enough time to gather his belongings.
The tenants are also upset that they were initially misled into believing that the building would remain accessible to residents the next day after they were ordered to evacuate. Instead, the fire marshal locked the doors and posted notices barring anyone from reentering the building under threat of arrest.
Attorney Matthew Erard, who lives at the Leland House, said tenants were misled and then shut out of their homes entirely. He alleged that confusion and finger-pointing between city departments has left residents with no path forward and that they have been deprived of virtually all their personal belongings, including essentials like clothes and medicine.
Erard also raised serious allegations involving DTE Energy, which owns a large amount of property surrounding the Leland House, including much of the land bordered by Bagley, Third, Plum, and Grand River. He claimed that DTE personnel drilled on the area of the street right above the basement electrical equipment just before the power went out, suggesting that it may have caused the outage.
The city officials strongly dispute the tenants' claims, saying the evacuation was necessary to protect lives and that residents are receiving extensive support. However, the tenants say Saturday's rally is about more than access to belongings; it is also about the future of the Leland House itself, a once-grand hotel that has fallen into disrepair after years of neglect, lawsuits, and mounting debt.
The city says that 31 households have been placed in hotels, including those with pet-friendly accommodations, and are providing food, transportation, and housing assistance. However, tenants say that the animals were not retrieved quickly enough, and some lost their homes due to unpaid electric bills.
The tenants claim that the fire department ordered them out of the 20-story apartment building without giving them sufficient notice or allowing them to gather essential items. The evacuation occurred during extremely cold weather, leaving residents without heat, lights, or elevators.
Daryl Stewart, a 67-year-old artist and percussionist who has lived in the building since 2012, expressed frustration over being forced to leave behind artwork, laptops, and his home recording studio. He said he was told to "let's go" by city officials without giving him enough time to gather his belongings.
The tenants are also upset that they were initially misled into believing that the building would remain accessible to residents the next day after they were ordered to evacuate. Instead, the fire marshal locked the doors and posted notices barring anyone from reentering the building under threat of arrest.
Attorney Matthew Erard, who lives at the Leland House, said tenants were misled and then shut out of their homes entirely. He alleged that confusion and finger-pointing between city departments has left residents with no path forward and that they have been deprived of virtually all their personal belongings, including essentials like clothes and medicine.
Erard also raised serious allegations involving DTE Energy, which owns a large amount of property surrounding the Leland House, including much of the land bordered by Bagley, Third, Plum, and Grand River. He claimed that DTE personnel drilled on the area of the street right above the basement electrical equipment just before the power went out, suggesting that it may have caused the outage.
The city officials strongly dispute the tenants' claims, saying the evacuation was necessary to protect lives and that residents are receiving extensive support. However, the tenants say Saturday's rally is about more than access to belongings; it is also about the future of the Leland House itself, a once-grand hotel that has fallen into disrepair after years of neglect, lawsuits, and mounting debt.
The city says that 31 households have been placed in hotels, including those with pet-friendly accommodations, and are providing food, transportation, and housing assistance. However, tenants say that the animals were not retrieved quickly enough, and some lost their homes due to unpaid electric bills.
This whole thing smells like a setup to me... like they want to get rid of all these tenants for whatever reason. The fact that DTE Energy was drilling on the street right above the basement electrical equipment before the power went out? That's not a coincidence, fam 
. I think it's some kind of cover-up. And what about those "extensive support" services they're offering to residents? Sounds like just PR to me... meanwhile, we got people left without heat, lights, or elevators and no way to get back into their homes. The tenants are right to be upset 
. This whole situation is too suspicious...
... I mean, can't believe the city officials are playing it so dirty with the residents of Leland House. The whole thing just doesn't add up - evacuation without notice, no time to gather essentials, and then they lock the doors? That's some shady stuff right there 
. And now DTE Energy is coming into play with this drilling business? It's like they're trying to cover their own tracks 
. I'm all for the tenants fighting back and demanding answers, but someone needs to investigate this whole thing ASAP 
the way they got kicked outta their home with like 2 mins notice is just wild... i mean evictions r bad enough but addin on top of that they're losin all their stuff & it's not even in a good location cuz of dte energy's drilling 
also can u blame them 4 be upset about the future of the leland house? it sounds like a total mess... 
.
they got a bunch of old ppl who liv in this historic bldng called leland house & they r all upset cuz city officials 4get 2 tell them bout a fire so they cud evacuate w/ thier stuff 
but its just not lookin good for these ppl who got forced out w/o any warning or prep 
.
ugh, can't believe the city is trying to pawn off a disaster on its own residents 
. Like, seriously, evacuate them without notice, leave 'em shivering in the cold, and then lock 'em out of their homes? That's not a hostile takeover, that's just basic human decency 
. The city is gonna have some serious explaining to do if these tenants can prove their claims 
, anyone else think this situation needs more attention?
. The city officials saying the evacuation was necessary to protect lives? I can see how that would be the case, especially if there was a real fire hazard or something.
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. And now they're saying that residents are getting support? That's not enough – they need help with more than just temporary accommodation 
.
. And what's going on with DTE Energy? If their drilling somehow caused the power outage, that's a whole different can of worms 
.
. But the tenants' claims seem a bit far-fetched to me... like, how do they know exactly what caused the power outage? That DTE Energy person just drilling on the street above their basement? It sounds kinda suspicious, but also hard to prove 
. But if they're not even getting their animals back on time... I don't know, it feels like there's a bit of a mismatch between what the city's offering and what the tenants need 
.
I'm seeing a lot of data on this one... 
71% of Detroit's residents support the tenants in their demands for justice. 
The city has allocated $2.5M for temporary housing and relocation assistance, but only 25% of that is going towards pets, which is still not enough 
. 
. The fire marshal's actions have been reported by 85% of residents as "unprofessional" 
.
According to the city's official numbers, 95% of tenants are receiving some form of housing assistance, but only 32% are able to stay in the building long-term due to outstanding debts 
. The situation is getting more complicated by the minute... 
in the middle of a cold snap? theyre not just fighting for their stuff but also the future of this historic building its like the city is just pushing them out without a care lol what about all those ppl who lost their homes due to unpaid electric bills