by Erica Hobbs The New Haven independent
Detroit’s River Pointe, owned by same landlord as New Haven’s Park Ridge.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN — A group of elderly renters gathered outside the River Pointe Tower on Detroit’s east side Tuesday afternoon to announce the formation of a tenants union — and to push for pest control, fair leases, a centralized system for reporting maintenance concerns, and increased safety and security at their senior apartment building.
The renter-power presser took place less than two weeks after a different group of seniors more than 600 miles away in New Haven launched a tenants union of their own — at a Hard Street building owned by the same New York-based corporate landlord that owns River Pointe.
“That ain’t right,” was the theme Tuesday as roughly two dozen senior tenants and allies gathered outside the 122-unit building at 800 Dickerson Ave. in Detroit.
The union, a new chapter of the Detroit Tenants Union, was created in response to claims of poor living conditions and poor property management against property owner Capital Realty Group.
That’s the same landlord that owns New Haven’s 72-unit Park Ridge apartment complex at 10 Hard St.
In Detroit as in New Haven, the senior renters said that their landlord needs to step up in making their respective buildings safer, healthier, and happier places to live.
The Detroit crew gave Capital Realty Group — who they said has since been unresponsive — one week to respond to their demands, which are listed in full below.
A representative from the landlord’s company did not respond to requests for comment by the publication time of this article.
“Seniors are third-class citizens to these [property managers], and we’re treated worse than prisoners,” said River Pointe tenant Theresa McCormack, 77, who started the process of forming the new union.
McCormack said she moved into the building in April 2024 looking forward to making new friends in a space that featured amenities like a community kitchen and an outdoor gathering space. Instead, she said, River Pointe was depressing, full of restrictions and frequent threats of eviction for non-compliance. She struggled with cockroaches – made worse because she was told not to use her own roach spray – plus unrepaired damage to her bathroom ceiling from the leaky apartment above. The community kitchen she had looked forward to for parties and potlucks has been closed the entire time.
“That started me thinking, we’ve got do something about this,” she said. “We could fight back.”
McCormack got in touch with Detroit Tenants Union — including lead organizer Shamica Joseph — and worked with other frustrated tenants to gather support from more than 50 fellow residents to form the union.
Among others who spoke at Tuesday’s event was 85-year-old Ronald Mays, who moved into the complex 18 years ago. He said it used to be delightful, with lots of camaraderie among tenants and staff, but he said things declined over the years with changes in management, especially the “dictatorship” that started about eight years ago.
“The managers began to say, ‘Do as I tell you to do or [you’ll get] the 30-day notice,’” Mays said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Mays said he had water running down his walls and subsequent mold in his apartment. He also had a bout of bed bugs and had to get rid of all his stuff. When he complained, he said, he got threatened with eviction.
Charles Cunningham, 68, said when he moved to River Pointe five years ago, everything looked new and beautiful, but things were not built well and began to fall apart quickly. He said a closet door fell on his head his first week, resulting in a gash that needed stitches. That door remained unrepaired, he said, and then later fell on his granddaughter. A leaky toilet above had resulted in black mold coming through his wall and subsequent respiratory issues, he said.
“I was breathing perfectly until I got to River Pointe Towers,” he said.
The tenants full list of demands of their landlord include:
• Fair lease terms for the building’s senior residents.
• Fair, respectful, and equal treatment for all tenants regardless of language, ethnicity, gender, or any other differences.
• A new, comprehensive pest control plan, and licensed professionals.
• A centralized system for reporting and resolving maintenance issues.
• Safety and security of the property.
• Staff to manage emergency access.
• Formal recognition of the River Pointe Towers Tenants Union.
• No retaliation against union members
Detroit City Councilmember Latisha Johnson of District 4 commended tenants for unionizing and told them she would make sure Capital Realty did not get any tax abatements for any other properties they own in Detroit until they do right by River Pointe.
“You’re not just fighting for better conditions in this property, but you are showing the city of Detroit how to come together and make sure that tenants’ rights are upheld,” she said.
Joseph said she is hoping the company will receive their demands and meet with them to discuss further.
“These are seniors, they are retired, they’re at a point in their life where they’re not trying to deal with any kind of upset and just want a safe living environment, and they deserve that,” she said. “And we just hope that Capital Realty really takes the initiative to meet us at the bargaining table.”
Tuesday’s press conference in Detroit took place one day before New Haven’s Park Ridge Tenants Union and Detroit’s River Pointe Tenants Union were scheduled to hold a celebration and watch party at noon on Wednesday to mark their respective efforts against their shared landlord.
Ronald Mays: 85 and in the union.
Charles Cunningham: “I was breathing perfectly until I got to River Pointe Towers.”
On scene at Tuesday’s presser.