For Mary Sheffield, Detroit’s future begins with keeping families housed

November 4, 2025

Mary Sheffield, Detroit's 38-year-old City Council President and heavily favored mayoral candidate, has made affordable housing and eviction prevention central to her political career and campaign platform. After the tragic carbon monoxide deaths of two children whose unhoused mother had sought help from Detroit's housing system, Sheffield's initiatives have taken on renewed urgency. Her signature achievement, the 2022 right-to-counsel ordinance, has provided free legal representation to over 12,000 low-income households facing eviction, with approximately half retaining their homes and predominantly serving Black women with children.

Who is affected

Tateona Williams and her deceased children, 9-year-old Darnell Currie Jr. and 2-year-old A'millah, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning
Over 12,000 Detroit households that have received legal representation through the right-to-counsel program since early 2023
Black women heading households, who account for 92.6% of tenant cases in the eviction defense program
Children present in approximately 55% of eviction cases
Low-income Detroit residents facing eviction or foreclosure
Sade Jenkins and her children, who successfully used the RTC program to fight their eviction
Seniors eligible for home repair grants
Detroit Public School Community District students who would benefit from after-school programming
More than 650,000 Detroit residents, the largest majority-Black city in the nation

What action is being taken

The Office of Eviction Defense is administering free legal representation for low-income residents facing eviction or foreclosure through the right-to-counsel ordinance
The United Community Housing Coalition is providing coverage at the 36th District Court, ensuring anyone who shows up can speak with an attorney
Ted Phillips' team is hand-delivering letters, leaving fliers, and conducting limited door-to-door outreach to reach tenants who miss initial hearings
The city has acknowledged the need for faster follow-up and emergency checks for families living in vehicles
Sheffield is running her mayoral campaign with housing for single-mother-led households as a major platform component
The Senior Home Repair Grant program is providing eligible seniors with up to $15,000 for home repairs
The city is offering fixed monthly water rates for eligible households facing financial hardship

Why it matters

The tragedy of two children dying from carbon monoxide poisoning while their family sought housing assistance exposes the gap between Detroit's written policies and accessible care for its most vulnerable residents. Housing insecurity disproportionately affects Black women with children in Detroit, creating instability that ripples through generations and undermines families' ability to maintain employment, education, and access to other services. The right-to-counsel program represents a structural shift in power dynamics, where previously only 4% of tenants had legal representation compared to 80% of landlords, and a fiscal analysis estimates that a $16.7 million annual investment could save Detroit $58.8 million by preventing homelessness and related social costs. Sheffield's approach recognizes that affordable housing is not charity but a foundation for justice, opportunity, and long-term community stability, making it inseparable from gender equity and economic mobility in a city where too many residents have been left behind during Detroit's "comeback."

What's next

Sheffield's team plans to create a new Office of Human, Homeless and Family Services that will coordinate a safety net of community and city services, from ID to housing to job placement
The proposed neighborhood opportunity and empowerment hubs will integrate wraparound service intake points, with plans to add mental health services and state benefits coordination over time
Sheffield has committed to guaranteeing after-school programming within two miles of every Detroit Public School Community District site through city departments and partnerships with organizations like the YMCA
Her platform envisions bringing in new jobs, improving educational opportunities, lowering utility costs for some households, and offering repair subsidies for others
Sheffield is heavily expected to win the general election and become Detroit's first woman mayor

Read full article from source: The 19th