DETROIT – Neighbors across the city of Detroit are being encouraged to report vacant homes in their community.
Detroit’s Ombudsman’s Office is collaborating with Detroit’s Construction and Demolition Department, and Department of Neighborhoods to raise awareness.
The agencies encourage residents to report details about vacant structures needing attention.
As it stands, the City of Detroit does not have an active list of all vacant properties.
“We get very, very, busy,” said Detroit Ombudsman Bruce Simpson. “Building, Safety, And Engineering is one of our largest agencies that we take complaints for. So, we’ve got about 2,000 complaints registered under them. A lot of them are vacant and open trespass properties.”
Being proactive in identifying and tackling issues around vacant properties will allow city crews to get ahead of problems.
“We have realized that it’s easier for us to stay proactive and getting in front of those problem locations when we are given the information ahead of time,” said LaJuan Counts, Director of Construction and Demolition.
Once residents report a vacant property, a survey team will be dispatched to inspect it.
This should typically happen within 48 hours. The team will determine whether the structure needs to be secured with clear boards or plywood and perform any other maintenance.
It’s the type of work crews are already busy addressing across the city.
“We’ve done that consistently over time and time again,” Counts said. “But now, we’re asking for the community to please, please, provide us that information. So that we can be as responsive as possible and ensure that we’ve secured these locations as quickly as we can for you.”
The survey crews will respond to your reports and identify vacant properties in each Council District. Organizers said community participation will be key in this effort.
“The ask is for the community to participate,” Simpson said. “If they see a vacant and open and trespass property in their community, we want them to give us a call.”
To report a vacant property, you may contact one of the following agencies:
-City of Detroit Department of Neighborhoods – District Manager hotline at 313-224-4415 or find your district manager at https://detroitmi.gov/departments/department-neighborhoods
-City of Detroit Construction & Demolition Department at 313-244-4737 or email DEMO-INFO@detroitmi.gov
-The Office of the Ombudsman at 313-224-6000 or email OMBUDSMAN@detroitmi.gov