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Families living without water, heat, elevators in Detroit apartment building reach out for help

Resident says she’s been stuck in apartment for weeks

DETROIT – People living in an apartment complex on Porter Street in Detroit reached out to Help Me Hank after living without water, heat or elevators.

They were caught in the middle of a legal tug-of-war as ownership of the building has been playing out in court. Tenants don’t have running water, they’ve been using space heaters for heating and they’ve been living in awful conditions.

Resident Cherylynn Rinehart said she can’t use the stairs and has been stuck in her apartment for weeks. She lives in the apartment with her child, like many other tenants. There are roughly 15 families dealing with the horrible conditions.

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department had a team on site and determined water was never shut off. They believe someone inside the building turned it off.

Watch the video above for the full report.


Read: Complete Help Me Hank coverage


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About the Author
Hank Winchester headshot

Hank Winchester is Local 4’s Consumer Investigative Reporter and the head of WDIV’s “Help Me Hank” Consumer Unit. Hank works to solve consumer complaints, reveal important recalls and track down thieves who have ripped off people in our community.

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