The Dirt: Rights of tenants and unhoused residents in the spotlight

This week’s news is all about tenant safety. Detroit is looking to bring more rentals into compliance, which should help many older adults who continue to decry conditions at their properties. And homelessness service providers in metro Detroit are concerned about the ramifications of a recent Supreme Court decision that closes the door on the rights of unhoused people to sleep outdoors.

Will landlords comply?

The City of Detroit is looking to amend its process for bringing rental properties up to code. Fewer than 10% of landlords have registered their properties since the original ordinance went into effect in 2018, due in large part to onerous inspection requirements .

The city’s Law Department prepared an amendment to revamp the ordinance. The new rules would reduce the number of inspection items from 37 to just 15 tied to important health and safety features, eliminate the comprehensive lead testing requirement and have everything checked in one inspection. Other changes include reducing the fee to an annual $150 payment and improving the city’s escrow program to increase eligibility.

On Monday, the amendment was referred to City Council’s Public Health and Safety Standing Committee, which approved sending it to the full council for a public hearing. (Outlier Media, BridgeDetroit, Michigan Public)

Safe housing for older adults

Older Detroit residents continue to call for intervention from the city and other agencies to provide them with safer housing options (paywalled). Since 2022, tenants have submitted 242 complaints to the city about heating and plumbing malfunctions, pest infestations, nonoperational elevators and other important issues at buildings that house older adults.

For more than two months, tenants of Cityview Senior Tower near Detroit Medical Center have had to live in units without drywall or carpeting following a fire on the top floor that caused extensive water damage on the floors below it. Sheridan Place , owned by the Detroit Housing Commission , has received 29 complaints.

City Council President Mary Sheffield and Councilmember Mary Waters have been raising alarm bells about the state of housing for older adults and helped pass an ordinance in May to create a Tenants’ Rights Commission . The nine-member body will help develop policies to improve the well-being and stability of renters. Nominations for the commission are due by July 26. (Detroit News, Outlier)

SCOTUS leaves people in the cold

Homelessness service providers are concerned about a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that allows municipalities to remove residents sleeping outdoors and shut down encampments. Providers fear the decision could have ripple effects across the region (paywalled). They and the city say they won’t harass unhoused residents in this way, but worry suburban communities might — pushing them to Detroit, where shelters are already experiencing a shortage of beds .

The 2023 one-day homelessness count for Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck was 1,280. That number is expected to rise this year after more than 4,000 people joined a pilot shelter prioritization list created in January. (Crain’s Detroit Business, Outlier)

Development news quick-hitters

No lawmakers in Lansing will admit to sponsoring a $250,000 earmark in the state budget (paywalled) to event planning business owner Tatiana Grant in Detroit. Grant told The Detroit News that she requested the money to restore the historic St. Columba Episcopal Church to house her business and rent out to commercial tenants. The nonprofit designated as receiving the grant, Invest Detroit, said it doesn’t have a formal agreement in place with the business, and there’s currently an ownership dispute with the building. (Detroit News)

Detroit Sound Conservancy finally has all the money it needs to complete a renovation of the historic Blue Bird Inn (paywalled) after receiving a $1.9 million grant. It’s also close to purchasing nine surrounding lots from the Detroit Land Bank Authority to develop recreational space. It hopes to complete the work in 2025. (Crain’s)

The Detroit People Mover will close for 11 weeks after Labor Day so its operator, Detroit Transportation Corp., can replace around 7,000 feet of track . The project costs a little under $5 million and is funded through state and federal grants. The People Mover should reopen before Thanksgiving. (Detroit Transportation Corp., Urbanize Detroit)

The Dirt: Rights of tenants and unhoused residents in the spotlight · Outlier Media