The Detroit City Council Public Health and Safety Standing Committee convened on April 20, 2026, for a dangerous buildings hearing. The committee heard appeals from property owners regarding approximately 80 buildings recommended for demolition by the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED). Chair Gabriela Santiago-Romero presided. The session focused on whether buildings were dangerous and whether owners could demonstrate progress toward repair or demolition. Many properties were withdrawn or sent back to BSEED for further time; a smaller number were ordered for demolition. Widespread concerns about communication, ticketing, and notification processes were raised by property owners.
Afternoon, everyone. I would like to call to order our public health and safety standing committee for the purposes of our dangerous buildings hearings. May the clerk please call the roll. Yes, good afternoon. Councilmember Gabriela Santiago Romero. Good afternoon, present. Councilmember Denville and McCampbell. Councilmember Mary Waters. Present. Madam Chair, we have quorum. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Given a quorum, and I do know Member McCampbell will be joining us shortly. We'll go right into the hearings for today. For folks that are here for the first time, I will turn it over to the administration to share with you what you can expect from our dangerous buildings process and why you are here. I'll turn it over to the administration to whoever can provide us that overview. Good afternoon through the chair. Good afternoon. For owners of property here today, if city council orders your building to be demolished, you have the opportunity to go to the building, safety and environmental engineering department located in room 14 and request a deferral of the demolition order. This means that you must do the following. Provide proof of ownership or interest in the property. Pay all required inspection fees, secure all openings on your building from trespass and the elements and remove all the exterior debris, abandoned vehicles, overgrowth, et cetera. Pay or make arrangements regarding any delinquent city taxes. Obtain the necessary permits to bring your building into compliance with all applicable codes and submit a completed deferral application. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Mr. Washington. I will now turn it over to LPD. Thank you, Madam Chair. In addition to the overview of the nature and consequences of these hearings, just provided by a representative of the administration. People should be aware that in contrast to the more wide-ranging policy oriented discussions of the other sessions of this committee, these are legally required appellate administrative hearings from previous hearings, informal hearings with the Department of Building Safety Engineering and Environment about the approximately 80 dangerous buildings on today's dangerous buildings list. And rather than a full discussion of all the issues, uh what the law what the law directs the committee to do is to have a hearing on the question of whether the buildings are dangerous or not, as presented by the department representatives of the department are here in order to provide due process and so that the committee is fully informed with pictures and other information from the files. Thank you. Thank you. I will now turn it over to BC to introduce themselves. Thank you, Madam Chair. My name is Dili Portel. Um from the building and safety uh property maintenance tape. Thank you. Come on, Alaska Dangerous Building Clerk. Thank you both for joining us. Uh Javon Perry, I am reserved in this hearing today. I'm from DC. All right. Well, thanks for nice seeing you, Javon. Thanks for joining us. Um, you are going to be in good hands here with the team. So thanks everyone for your introductions and your overviews. Um, as has been shared, we are here to hear um from property owners directly. If you are looking to prevent your house from being demolished, or if you agree to demolish the property. Uh, if you are online and you are here for a hearing, please raise your hands now.