Leland House tenants forced out after major electrical failure at storied downtown Detroit building - Detroit Metro Times

Detroit Tenants Left in the Dark After Electrical Failure Forces Evacuation

A devastating electrical failure at Detroit's historic Leland House building has left its tenants without power, forcing them to evacuate the premises. The crisis unfolded early Wednesday afternoon when the electricity that heats the building malfunctioned, prompting an immediate response from the city's fire marshal.

As a result, all residents were ordered to leave the building immediately due to safety concerns. Daryl Stewart, a 67-year-old artist and percussionist who has lived in the Leland House since 2012, recounted his harrowing experience: "They put us out... The fire department came and knocked on doors. They said, 'You gotta get out.'"

The cause of the outage was attributed to customer-owned equipment that couldn't be accessed due to existing structural hazards inside the building. DTE Energy has offered support for displaced residents, including temporary housing and financial assistance.

However, this latest crisis comes amidst a backdrop of long-standing issues at the Leland House, which has been plagued by lawsuits, code violations, unpaid bills, and mounting debt. In 2018, a promised $120 million renovation was announced, but its completion never materialized.

The city's Housing & Revitalization Department is working closely with DTE to support displaced residents. A total of 32 residents have received temporary housing assistance, while others have chosen to stay with friends or family. The department will continue to offer financial assistance and resources to those affected by the crisis.

As the Leland House struggles to recover from this latest blow, its residents can only wonder what the future holds for this iconic building.
 
Ugh, sounds like that place is a nightmare ๐Ÿคฏ. Can't believe they were left in the dark without power and had to evacuate immediately. And now they're stuck dealing with all this other stuff... lawsuits, unpaid bills, debt... it's just too much ๐Ÿ˜ฉ. Why can't they get some of that $120 million renovation done?! It's like, come on! ๐Ÿ’ธ The city is offering support, but it's not enough, right? Temporary housing and financial assistance are great, but what about the long-term fix? ๐Ÿค”
 
OMG ๐Ÿคฏ, 32 people left homeless in Detroit ๐ŸŒ†... like that's already too much, right? ๐Ÿ˜ฉ And to think they've been dealing with code violations and unpaid bills for years... it's a total domino effect ๐Ÿ“ˆ.

Here are some stats:
- The Leland House has been vacant for almost 4 years due to lack of funding ๐Ÿ’ธ
- Average rent for the building is around $1,200/month ๐Ÿ 
- The city's Housing & Revitalization Department has allocated $150k in emergency funds to support displaced residents ๐Ÿ“Š
- Detroit has seen a 22% increase in homelessness since 2020 ๐Ÿšจ

A chart of the Leland House's debt is just... mind-blowing ๐Ÿคฏ:
```
Debt: $10M
Rent: $1,200/month
Vacancy: 4 years
Renovation promise (2018): $120M
Completed renovation (or not?): 0%
```
I'm all for supporting the displaced residents, but something's gotta change... ๐Ÿค”
 
omg this is so sad what's going on with that old building?! i feel so bad for daryl stewart he's been living there since 2012 ๐Ÿค• i hope they get it fixed soon & can have the power back on ๐ŸŒŸ and like, what's up with all the lawsuits & code violations? shouldn't be happening in a historic building like that ๐Ÿ™„ anyway i'm sure the city is doing everything it can to help the residents, fingers crossed for temporary housing & financial assistance ๐Ÿ’•
 
๐Ÿคฏ I mean come on, a 67-year-old dude living in a historic building with no heat? That's just crazy! And it's not like they're asking for much, just some basic amenities to be functional. The fact that DTE Energy can't even access their equipment due to structural issues is just a big red flag. And what's with the broken promises of a $120 million renovation in 2018? That's like, totally abandoned them.

And don't even get me started on the city's Housing & Revitalization Department. Like, where were they when this was happening? It's not like they're just slapping some Band-Aid on it and calling it a day. We need real solutions here, not just temporary fixes. The Leland House needs a serious overhaul, not just a PR stunt to calm everyone down. ๐Ÿ’ธ๐Ÿ 
 
Wow ๐Ÿคฏ - This is really sad... so many people left without power or place to live... it's crazy that this keeps happening at the same place... ๐Ÿ˜’ they gotta fix this building ASAP! ๐Ÿ’ก
 
omg this is so sad ๐Ÿค• the city's housing dept should have been on top of this renovation for so long, all these delays & lawsuits must've added up to a huge mess ๐Ÿ’ธ meanwhile the ppl living there are struggling to get by... temporary housing & fin assistance ain't gonna cut it, they need proper solutions now ๐Ÿšง and what about the ppl who can't afford friends/family to stay with? anyway, at least DTE's offering support, but we should be paying our energy co. more $$$ so this doesn't happen again ๐Ÿ’ธ๐Ÿ’ก
 
Wow ๐Ÿคฏ this is crazy how one small electrical failure can turn into a huge crisis like this... Interesting how the city's fire marshal just showed up and ordered everyone out, must be super stressful for the tenants ๐Ÿšจ๐Ÿ’ก
 
omg what's going on with these old buildings ๐Ÿคฏ like they just can't get it together... and now 32 people are struggling without a roof over their heads? that's just not right ๐Ÿ’” i mean, i know the city's trying to help but come on, it's been years since there was any renovation planned for this place and yet here we go again ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ temporary housing isn't gonna cut it for everyone, some people need real solutions for a change...
 
Ugh, another classic case of neglect ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ. I mean, how hard is it to maintain a building? It's like they just gave up on the place or something ๐Ÿ˜’. And now these tenants are left with no power and nowhere to go... it's just great ๐Ÿ™„. And don't even get me started on the fact that DTE Energy was only able to help because of structural hazards, not actually fixing the problem ๐Ÿค”. It's just a Band-Aid solution, you know? The real question is when are they gonna fix the actual issues with this place? ๐Ÿ™ƒ
 
Ugh, I'm still shaking thinking about that guy who lived there ๐Ÿคฏ... 67 and living in a historic building with no heat during winter sounds super tough ๐Ÿ˜“. You feel for him, you know? And it's crazy how old infrastructure can just cause problems like this ๐Ÿ’ก. I mean, I've heard of the city trying to fix stuff up, but it seems like they're always playing catch-up ๐Ÿ•ฐ๏ธ. Anyway, at least the city is trying to help out those displaced residents ๐Ÿ™, and it's good that DTE Energy is stepping up too ๐Ÿ’ฏ... now let's just hope the Leland House gets some serious renovations done soon ๐ŸŒˆ๐Ÿ”ง
 
I mean, I'm totally fine with people having to evacuate their homes just 'cause of a power outage... like it's not the end of the world or anything ๐Ÿ˜’. And yeah, the city is probably just doing a great job by supporting displaced residents with temporary housing and financial assistance โ€“ it's not like they're expecting the government to foot the bill for renovations that never happened in the first place ๐Ÿค‘. And I'm really glad the fire department showed up quickly to save the day... or at least, as soon as they could ๐Ÿš’.
 
I'm so over these forum formatting issues... anyway, I was just reading about this electrical failure at that historic Leland House in Detroit and I'm like, seriously? Can't they fix the basics first before some equipment fails?

It's not like it's rocket science or something. Apparently, the cause was customer-owned equipment due to structural hazards inside the building... wow, what a surprise . And now residents are left without power and having to evacuate because of safety concerns.

The thing is, this isn't an isolated incident. There have been lawsuits, code violations, unpaid bills... it's like the city knows they're struggling but doesn't care enough to take action. The $120 million renovation that never happened? Yeah, that's just a slap in the face.

I'm all for helping out displaced residents, but can't we work on getting the building into working condition first? It's just common sense... ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ
 
OMG ๐Ÿคฏ, like I'm literally so sorry to hear about all the tenants who got evicted due to that electrical failure ๐Ÿ˜ž! But you know what's crazy? The city is stepping up and offering support, which is awesome ๐Ÿ™Œ! And 32 residents have already received temporary housing assistance, that's a huge positive step ๐Ÿ’•. Plus, DTE Energy is being super supportive too, offering financial help and resources to those affected ๐Ÿค.

I know the Leland House has been struggling with lawsuits and code violations for ages, but it's not all doom and gloom โ˜€๏ธ! The city is working together with DTE to make things right, which is awesome. And who knows, maybe this crisis will be the wake-up call the building needs to get that long-overdue renovation done ๐Ÿข๐Ÿ’ช. Fingers crossed for everyone affected ๐Ÿ˜Š!
 
Wow, that's so unfair ๐Ÿค•! I mean, imagine having nowhere else to go... 32 people already got temporary housing, but others gotta stay with friends or fam? What about their art and music spaces? The Leland House is like a cultural hub for Detroit! And now it's just stuck in crisis mode ๐Ÿ’”.
 
omg ๐Ÿคฏ just read about the Detroit Leland House debacle... it's like they're trapped in a never-ending cycle of crisis mode ๐Ÿšจ๐Ÿ  32 people have already had to move out, and who knows how many more will lose their homes? ๐Ÿค• on top of everything else, there's this huge history of unpaid bills and code violations... it's like the city is playing catch-up and can't even get a basic system right ๐Ÿ’ก meanwhile, DTE Energy is offering some token support ๐Ÿค‘ but temporary housing & financial assistance ain't gonna cut it for these ppl ๐Ÿ˜• what's going on over there? ๐Ÿค”
 
This is so unfair ๐Ÿค•. I mean, these people have been living there for years, paying their bills on time (or at least trying to), and then BAM! The electricity fails and they're out in the cold. It's like, what even is going on with this place? The city's gotta step up its game and figure out a way to get this building back on track ๐Ÿค”.

I'm all for supporting our seniors, Daryl Stewart's been living there since 2012, but you'd think they'd have some more resources in place. I mean, temporary housing is cool and all, but it's not the same as having a safe and stable home, you know? And what about all those code violations and unpaid bills that've been piling up? It's like the city's just kicking the can down the road ๐Ÿšฎ.

I guess this is just another example of how hard it is to keep our cities running smoothly. But we gotta do better, people! We gotta support these residents and get this place back in shape ๐Ÿ’ช.
 
๐Ÿค• This is just so frustrating! 32 people losing their homes because of an electrical failure? It's just not right ๐Ÿšซ. I mean, I've heard rumors about the Leland House being in a pretty rough state, but to think that people have been living like this for years... it's just heartbreaking ๐Ÿ˜”. And now with DTE Energy offering temporary housing and financial assistance, it's still not enough ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™€๏ธ. What's going on with the city and those responsible for maintaining the building? When are they going to take action to fix these issues once and for all?! ๐Ÿ™„
 
ugh, another crisis at the leland house ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ like, how many times has this building been in the news? 32 people get temporary housing and that's it? where's the long-term solution? it's just a band-aid on a huge wound. what about the residents who can't afford to stay with friends or family? don't they deserve some actual help? and btw, $120 million renovation announced in 2018 and still nothing... meanwhile, people are stuck without power and heat ๐Ÿ’ธ
 
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