He represents Ward 1 and won a special election last year on a campaign to expand Lansing’s housing stock and make it more affordable. Officials like City Councilmember Ryan Kost are well aware of issues with red-tagged housing. One of those properties has been tagged since 2003, and nearly two dozen have been tagged for more than a decade. Lansing’s Department of Economic Development and Planning says there are hundreds of housing units in the city that have been red tagged and await repairs. Williams’ situation is not unique, nor is it a new one. But it's also you know, it's also a place where, you know, people don't have any place to go," she said. "A lot of people don't understand that it's not safe for them to be there. But some of her neighbors still live in their red-tagged units-something they aren’t supposed to be doing. She’s currently renting a room at a friend’s house. Williams and her son stayed in a hotel room for nearly two months. RESSCO did not respond to a request for comment via email. He noted it's illegal for the property owner to have residents occupying condemned units until they're in full compliance. Scott Bean, a spokesperson for Lansing Mayor Andy Schor, said RESSCO has been refusing to make repairs and disputing some of its red-tagged units. In February, Consumers Energy shut off her gas line, and code compliance officers stuck a red tag on the outside of her unit-meaning the city said she could not live there until the landlords brought it up to code. She said the management company didn’t send someone certified to fix it, and attempts to repair the furnace caused a gas leak-one that still hasn’t been fixed. Months ago, Williams' furnace shut down, causing her to lose heat in her home. That’s a step that usually occurs before homes are red-tagged and deemed uninhabitable. In 2019, when code compliance officers found Autumn Ridge’s apartments weren’t certified rental units, they pink tagged the whole complex. "I ended up with mice because the apartment next to me has been vacant for two years, and they haven't cleaned it."
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |