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Detroit residents speak out on elevator problems

Broken elevator at senior apartment complex. (Copyright 2024 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.)

DETROIT – In Detroit, we have hundreds of apartment buildings -- hundreds. Maintaining them and keeping them running smoothly and safely is typically a large undertaking.

I hear from so many tenants reaching out to Help Me Hank who have complaints about the conditions in their apartments. One of the most concerning issues we hear about: broke elevators.

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During the last few months, I have covered at least 3 cases where seniors were trapped while the elevators were down. This is a huge problem. Many of these buildings are old and maintaining these old elevators is a massive job. The city only has so many inspectors and fixing elevators is not an easy job.

However, it is the building management’s responsibility to stay on top of these issues and work to relocate you and make you safe should your building be affected.

Today, I’m headed out to yet another Detroit building where the elevators appear to not be working. I will be talking with those affected and the city working to get the building to move faster to correct this wrong.

What can you do if you have a building or an elevator issue? You can contact Help Me Hank via the Help Desk at clickondetroit.com.

You can share your concerns with me via the HMH tipline 313-634-WDIV or connect with me on social media.

If you want to reach out to the city or the state here is some key contact information for you!

  • Detroit Building and Safety: 313-224-2733
  • Tenants have rights -- You can contact the Detroit Housing Resource Helpline: 866-313-2520
  • Emergency Shelter contact: 866-313-2520
  • You can file a complaint with the state of Michigan: 800-482-3604 or MDCR-INFO@michigan.gov
  • HUD Hotline: 800-669-9777

You can also use the Improve Detroit app to report a variety of issues that may need the attention of the city.

I will see you live today on later editions of Local4 News


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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