Residents facing imminent eviction from Lansing’s troubled Sycamore Townhomes have received a temporary reprieve.
Tenants were ordered to leave by May 31, but attorney John Polderman, the court-appointed receiver for the troubled housing complex, has extended the eviction deadline by at least 20 days, according to a tenant advocacy group.
“[Polderman] stated that if residents are making progress to be able to find new housing and successfully move out by that time, there’s a chance of an additional extension,” said William Lawrence with the Lansing group, Rent Is Too Damn High.
Lawrence said while the remaining residents were relieved by the extension, they still need more time to find new homes. He added the receiver’s promise of a $1,000 in relocation assistance for tenants in good standing wasn’t enough.
“We still need to keep pushing, and we’re going to keep talking with the receiver to gain more financial assistance,” Lawrence said. His group has said residents need between $3,000-5,000 to help them find affordable housing.
As of Monday, fewer than 50 units were still occupied, according to Polderman.
In 2023, hundreds of units at the housing complex were deemed to be unsafe. The plan is to renovate the development, and Polderman says the work could start as soon as this week.
“The property may not be fully vacant, but there’s approximately 25 buildings that are vacant, so they can get started on those,” he said. Polderman added he expects the complex will include subsidized housing once the renovation is completed.
“I think the rent will increase slightly from where it was now,” he said, “But there should still be a good mix of affordable housing.”
Produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.