HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. – Residents living in a Highland Park veterans’ apartment building said they are facing unsafe and unsanitary conditions at the facility operated by Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.
McKinley Dalton, who said he has lived in the building for years, reached out to Local 4 about conditions there on Glendale Street.
“We got a ton of issues from roaches, bed bugs, and no heat,” Dalton said.
He described nighttime conditions as “terrible,” and said he has to sleep in a jacket.
According to Dalton, the situation escalated last week when staff removed about six smoke detectors from various floors, including his, after they activated without apparent cause.
Dalton said a fire broke out in the building on Monday, Nov. 17.
When Local 4 approached a property staff member in the parking lot, she referred all questions to the administrative office of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.
A spokesperson for the nonprofit, responding to Local 4’s inquiry, said that a fire occurred in the basement while maintenance workers were repairing the heating system.
The incident caused a temporary heating outage in portions of the building, she said.
The spokesperson also said she would relay Dalton’s concerns to leadership.
No timeline was provided for addressing the reported issues.
Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries manages the apartment building as part of its veterans’ housing program, according to the organization’s website.
“Don’t nobody deserve to live like this,” Dalton said.
Local 4 will keep in contact with Dalton to see if his concerns are addressed.