Tenants ask City Council to seize Leland House

February 11, 2026

The Detroit Tenants Union has requested that the city use eminent domain to seize Leland House, a 22-story residential building that was evacuated in November following a power failure, and transform it into affordable housing for the displaced residents who cannot return. Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett expressed caution about this approach, noting that city council must determine whether there's adequate public purpose and questioning whether spending tens of millions on repairs is fiscally responsible. Separately, council members are addressing another housing crisis involving a 26-unit westside building owned by cryptocurrency company ReaIT, where residents lost water and heat after a pipe break, with four households receiving city assistance while others left before help arrived.

Who is affected

Residents of Leland House who were evacuated in November and cannot return
Four households from the ReaIT-owned 26-unit building in the Dexter-Linwood neighborhood who were relocated to hotels
Additional tenants from the ReaIT building who left before city officials arrived
Former residents of Greenhouse Apartments who were housed in Livonia after losing heat
Mayor Mary Sheffield and City Council members considering the eminent domain request
Private owners/creditors of Leland House involved in federal bankruptcy proceedings

What action is being taken

The Detroit Tenants Union has sent a letter to Mayor Sheffield and City Council requesting acquisition of Leland House
A federal bankruptcy case is ongoing to determine future ownership of Leland House
City officials have relocated four households to hotels and provided case workers through the Housing and Revitalization Department
The Buildings Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED) has issued emergency orders to vacate the westside building

Why it matters

This situation highlights systemic housing instability in Detroit caused by negligent landlords who create recurring housing crises. The response raises fundamental questions about municipal responsibility for protecting residents when private property owners fail to maintain safe living conditions, and whether public acquisition of troubled properties is an appropriate or fiscally sound solution. The displacement of residents, particularly when they're housed outside city limits, creates additional hardships including transportation challenges and potential homelessness, demonstrating the cascading impacts when basic housing infrastructure fails.

What's next

Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero has asked the Legislative Policy Division to study options for obtaining ownership of housing properties that go through bankruptcy
The city is working to locate residents from the ReaIT building who left before officials arrived to offer assistance, which includes obtaining a roster from the owner showing how many tenants lived there before the heat failure

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com