YPSILANTI, Mich. – A large apartment complex in Ypsilanti has been condemned, putting its tenants in a difficult position.
All 18 buildings at Arbor One Apartments have a condemned sign on the door.
“There’s lead paint, there is asbestos in the walls, there’s a lot of sewage issues that a lot of people are experiencing,” tenant Richard Gerringer said.
Gerringer and fellow tenants have created a union to fight for their rights.
Tenants and county officials say the buildings’ condemnation comes after the complex lost its certificate of compliance in 2024.
The apartments recently came under the new management of Beal Properties.
“The manager is supposed to be fixing these issues and rehoming these tenants,” Gerringer said.
The tenants said some people have been moved, but it’s difficult to find comparable housing situations for everyone.
“They’re having to reschedule it because they’re taking units and giving it to somebody else and taking it from them,” tenant Roy Finny said.
Finny is waiting to be moved to a town home across the street that’s owned by the same company.
On top of the uncertainty for tenants, there’s a legal battle brewing.
Washtenaw County Commissioner Annie Somerville told Local 4 the county prosecutor and the city have filed a lawsuit, claiming the complex is violating consumer protection law.
“What triggered that is the fact that they continued to rent and renew leases after their certificate of compliance was revoked,” Somerville said.
The tenants and county commissioner said they want to see the buildings fixed and not destroyed, telling Local 4 the city can’t afford to lose affordable housing options.
“Here you have a lot of families that have been resettled from other countries, you have a lot of people who are living with disabilities, so both for their own stability and for what they can afford, we can’t afford to lose housing stock,” Somerville said.
Local 4 reached out to Beal properties for comment but did not hear back.
