Fundraiser planned for displaced Leland House residents as tenants wait for answers - Detroit Metro Times

Fundraiser Planned for Displaced Leland House Residents Amid Uncertainty Over Building's Future

A fundraiser is set to take place this Friday at the Lager House in Detroit, aiming to raise money for displaced residents of the historic Leland House. The event, scheduled to start at 8 p.m., will see monetary donations collected at the door, with raffle prizes and information booths available throughout the evening.

The suggested donation amount is $10 to $20, and proceeds will be split evenly among the 27 displaced residents who currently reside in a hotel in Southfield. Many of these tenants are struggling financially due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding their living situation.

Daryl Stewart, a 67-year-old artist and percussionist who has lived at the Leland House since 2012, expressed his concerns about the future of the building. "We're sticking together because we still don't know what's going on," he said. "It remains unclear whether residents will ever be able to return."

The displacement of tenants has also had a significant emotional impact, with many describing the Leland House as their home and family. Stewart emphasized that the building holds sentimental value for its residents. "Everybody loved that building. It was our family," he said.

In recent weeks, the situation at the Leland House has become increasingly precarious. The city's fire marshal ordered a mandatory evacuation following a major electrical malfunction, which left the building without heat or electricity. The cause of the outage has been attributed to melting ice and snow leaking into the basement, where the building's electrical system is located.

DTE Energy stated that the outage was caused by customer-owned equipment, but the company's plans to cut off power due to unpaid bills were halted after the building secured a $1.2 million short-term loan. However, the uncertainty surrounding the building's future has left many residents in limbo.

The fundraiser at the Lager House is separate from an online campaign launched in early December to support the Leland City Club, a renowned goth-and-techno venue inside the building. The GoFundMe campaign drew scrutiny after questions surfaced about whether the proceeds went toward paying DTE Energy.

As the residents continue to wait for answers, the situation at the Leland House remains uncertain. Stewart expressed his concern that the building could suffer structural damage if it is left without electricity for an extended period. "It's been really hard," he said.

The DJ lineup for the fundraiser includes Coffee Black, Nova Blu, Something Blue, Big Joe Hix, and Mizz Chavez. The event aims to provide a sense of community and support for the displaced residents as they wait for their situation to be resolved.
 
I think it's awesome that people are coming together to help out those affected by the Leland House situation 🀝. I mean, who wouldn't want to give money to help 27 people who are struggling financially because of some building drama? It's like, what even is going on with this place, right? The fact that it got shut down due to an electrical malfunction and now everyone's in limbo is super frustrating 🀯.

But at the same time... I don't know if I'd be too sure about how all those donations are being handled. Like, was the GoFundMe campaign legit or what? And shouldn't we be asking more questions before just giving away our cash? I mean, transparency and all that jazz... πŸ€‘

Ugh, I'm so confused! Can we just get some answers already?! But at the same time... if it's going to help people who are genuinely struggling, maybe we should just take a chance and hope for the best? πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ I guess what I'm saying is... *sigh*... do whatever you think is right, but can someone please give me some info on how that GoFundMe campaign worked out?! πŸ€‘
 
Ugh, my heart is breakin' thinkin' about those 27 people stuck in that hotel with no end in sight πŸ€•. That Leland House has been like a home to them, you know? Daryl Stewart's right, it's not just a building, it's their family. And now they're facin' financial struggles 'cause of the uncertainty... it's just cruel πŸ˜”. I'm all for supportin' the fundraiser at the Lager House – we should all be there to show those folks some love πŸ’–. Maybe we can even raise enough money to get that building fixed up and back to normal 🏠πŸ’ͺ. The DJ lineup sounds fire too, gonna have a blast while also helpin' out! Can't wait for Friday night πŸŽ‰.
 
I think it's kinda cool that people are coming together to help out those in need 🀝 but at the same time, I'm also worried about how this fundraiser is gonna affect the city's finances... like, what if the event ends up costing more than just the $10-20 suggested donation? πŸ€‘ And on a more personal level, I feel bad for the residents who have to leave their home without any warning, but at the same time, some people might be able to afford that fancy new place they've been talking about... πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ what's right and wrong here is all kinda fuzzy 😐
 
πŸ€— just thinking about all those ppl struggling in that building is heartbreaking... it's not just about the physical stuff, it's about feeling like home & family being taken away from u πŸŒŽπŸ’” gotta give props 2 Daryl Stewart & other residents who r speaking out & trying 2 stay together during this super uncertain time πŸ•ŠοΈπŸ’ͺ
 
πŸ€— I just can't help but feel so bad for those Leland House residents... 67 years is a long time to call a place home, you know? 🌟 They're not just losing a roof over their heads, it's like they're losing family and friends too. The uncertainty is really getting to them, I can imagine how stressful it must be. Let's all do our part and show some love by attending the fundraiser this Friday! πŸ’–
 
omg this is so sad i mean the Leland House has been a part of that community for like forever it's not just a building its a home πŸ€• and these people are struggling so much because of what's happening with the city and dte energy it just feels like they're in limbo and nobody knows what's gonna happen next

i think this fundraiser is a great idea though it's awesome that people are coming together to support the residents i mean who wouldn't want to help out your neighbors when you know they're struggling?

it would be so cool if we could figure out what's going on with the building and get everything sorted out but until then i guess this fundraiser is a good start πŸŽ‰
 
oh my gosh this is so sad that those people are having to go through all this i mean they're basically living in a hotel now without knowing if they'll ever get back into their own home πŸ€—β€οΈ the fundraiser sounds like it's gonna be such a great event with the DJ lineup and everything lets just hope it brings in enough money to help them out πŸ€‘πŸ’–
 
man this is wild how ppl r struggling 2 b back in ther homes at Leland House 🀯 i feel bad 4 all those ppl livin in uncertainty, esp wen its not even clear wut happened 2 cause the outage 1st place. hope that fundraiser @ Lager House helps & provides some relief for them 😊
 
just saw this news about the Leland House residents πŸ€• and it's heartbreaking. 27 people stuck in limbo due to building uncertainty πŸ“‰

dte energy claims the outage was caused by customer-owned equipment πŸ€” but the thing is, they weren't cutting off power because of unpaid bills. DTE Energy actually had to halt plans after the building got a loan πŸ’Έ $1.2 million short-term loan in total.

meanwhile, these residents are struggling financially and emotionally πŸ˜”. many described the Leland House as their home & family 🏠πŸ‘ͺ

fundraiser this friday sounds like a great idea πŸŽ‰ to support displaced residents. but what's worrying is that the situation at the Leland House could lead to structural damage if electricity isn't restored for too long πŸ’₯

stats on DTE energy's customer-owned equipment: 65% of outages in 2024 were caused by faulty or damaged equipment πŸ“Š (source: dte.com)

update: online gofundme campaign drew scrutiny about proceeds going toward paying DTE Energy. transparency is key! πŸ‘€
 
πŸ€” I think it's kinda weird that we're throwing a fundraiser at this point... like, we already raised some cash online for them, right? πŸ€‘ But hey, at least it'll give 'em a chance to get together and catch up with each other. The DJ lineup looks pretty lit though! 😎 Anyway, I think the building's owners or whoever should just give us a straight answer about what's gonna happen to the Leland House. It's been months now... 27 people are stuck in limbo, that's no joke πŸ€•
 
πŸ€” this whole thing got me thinking... people get attached to places cuz it's not just about bricks & mortar, its like home, family, all that emotional stuff. when u lose that, u lose a part of ur self πŸ˜”. we gotta remember dat the folks at Leland house ain't just renters, dey're ppl wif stories, memories, dreams... every time u think bout helpin dem out, jus remember dat dey got feelings too πŸ€—
 
πŸš¨πŸ’” just heard about this fundraiser for the Leland House residents... its sad that they're being displaced from their home 🏠😒 27 people are struggling financially while not even knowing if they'll get back in their place 🀯 and to make matters worse, it's like the building is falling apart too 😷 $1.2 million loan might be helping but its not a permanent fix πŸ’Έ anyway, lets raise some cash for them at this fundraiser on Friday πŸŽ‰
 
Ugh what's going on with those ppl at Leland House?! 🀯 They got like 27 ppl stuck in some hotel in Southfield & they're all struggling cuz nobody knows if they'll ever get back into their own home! I mean, I feel for the artists & musicians like Daryl Stewart who've been living there since 2012 - it's their famly home! πŸ€• The fire marshal just kicked them out cuz of some stupid electrical malfunction & now they're stuck in limbo. Someone needs to step up & help these ppl ASAP. Let's get that fundraiser goin' at the Lager House this Friday & raise some dough for those displaced residents! πŸ’Έ
 
πŸ€” This is getting outta hand... like what's next? They're gonna raise money for people who can't even pay their bills themselves, meanwhile DTE Energy is just gonna keep messing around with their power. It's so unfair that these artists and musicians have to deal with this drama on top of trying to make a living. I mean, I get it, the building's been abandoned for years, but come on... can't they just give those people some answers already? πŸ™„ The DJ lineup is pretty lit though 😎
 
I'm worried about those Leland House residents πŸ€•. It's crazy that they're stuck in limbo like this. I mean, the building has been there for so long, it's more than just a place to live - it's home. And now they're being forced to wait and see what happens next. The fundraiser at the Lager House is a great idea πŸŽ‰, but I think we should also be thinking about ways to keep them safe and stable in the meantime. Like, have they considered temporary housing options or anything? I know it's not the same as their own home, but it would be better than being stuck in a hotel without any long-term plans. And what about the emotional toll this is taking on them? They're not just losing a place to live, they're losing a sense of community and family too πŸ˜”.
 
omg i cant even rn!!! DTE Energy is literally being super shady about this whole thing 🀯, but like we gotta support our Leland House fam πŸ’•! Those 27 residents have been through so much already and now we're tryin to figure out if they'll ever get to come back home 🏠. That DJ lineup tho?! Coffee Black, Nova Blu, and Mizz Chavez are gonna bring the house down πŸ”₯🎢. I'm def donating $20 and attending that fundraiser - who's with me? πŸ€— Let's show those residents we care and help 'em get back on their feet πŸ’ͺ
 
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