LANSING, Mich. (Nov. 30, 2021) — Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) recently sent a letter to the manager of Lafayette Towers, urging them to immediately implement safety protocols and ensure residents’ safety and requesting a meeting to discuss concerns about living conditions.
Tenants were forced to flee a fire on the 9th floor of the building, located at 1301 Orleans Street in Detroit, in late September. Many of the tenants were not made aware the fire was happening due to improper or complete lack of fire hazard alerts. Senator Chang’s team is working with a group of the building’s tenants and has learned about several examples of vulnerable residents, including a pregnant woman, who experienced health concerns due to the lack of proper emergency notifications.
“The residents of Lafayette Towers are asking for reasonable needs to be met when it comes to safety in an emergency. It is incumbent upon the property management company to ensure the basic safety of their tenants; anything less is negligent and extremely dangerous,” Sen. Chang said. “No one should fear for their life in the place they call home. I will continue to work with and advocate for Lafayette Towers residents on this matter until this situation is resolved to their satisfaction.”
Sadly, many tenants only reported learning of the fire when neighbors or maintenance personnel alerted them to the emergency, putting even more lives at risk. Since then, Sen. Chang sent a letter to the owner and has asked them to install the following, as requested by the tenants:
- A fire system that can be heard by residents in every room of every unit on every floor.
- An illuminated exit sign at each fire exit on each floor.
- A stairwell pressurization system in each fire escape route stairwell.
“As a resident, I’m disappointed that myself and my neighbors have had to resort to political pressure and publicity in order for our homes to be equipped with such a basic necessity as functioning fire alarms, but I’m grateful for the support of people like Senator Chang who understand the importance of the requested changes,” said Molly Savage, a resident of Lafayette Towers.
A copy of the letter sent to the owners of Lafayette Towers can be found here.
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