Tenants and advocates urge Lansing leaders to halt evictions at Sycamore Townhomes and protect Fallen Angels encampment

Dozens of residents and tenant advocates told the Lansing City Council on May 12 that a court‑appointed receiver’s plan to clear and renovate Sycamore Townhomes will displace hundreds of people and that the city should not push to remove the Fallen Angels encampment near Dietrich Park without a plan to house those residents.

Speakers described notices to vacate that they said gave tenants 30 days to leave, a $1,000 relocation payment that they said is available only to tenants "in good standing," and allegations that the receiver, John Polderman, has been spending "$20,000 per week on security services" at the property. Advocates invited council members to a May 24 walking tour of Sycamore Townhomes (4590 Seaway Drive) and the Fallen Angels encampment to hear residents’ concerns in person.

"We are a union of tenants fighting for our rights and for safe, quality, and truly affordable housing for all in the Lansing area," said Lauren Hicks, who spoke on behalf of the Lansing chapter of the Rent Is Too Damn High organizing group and invited council members to the May 24 tour. William Lawrence said the receiver’s filings and tenant testimony show displacement rather than rehabilitation: "the city attorney then filed a motion with the court saying, that sounds good. We support this plan to evict everybody," he said, and described security spending that residents say is being used to intimidate them.

Speakers gave different counts for how many units remain occupied and how many tenants might be affected; written testimony read at the meeting said the property had been "pink‑tagged" for 339 units and "red‑tagged" for nearly 50 more in 2023, while other speakers described roughly 80 to 100 remaining residents and some references to about 30 remaining tenants. Several speakers, including a tenant quoted by Selkie, said the $1,000 relocation payment is only paid after tenants vacate, leaving many unable to front deposits or moving costs.

Many public commenters pressed the council to call on Mayor Andy Schor and the city attorney to drop legal action aimed at clearing the Fallen Angels encampment and to seek stronger tenant protections at Sycamore. "If this camp is destroyed, the people living there will likely find themselves on the street or incarcerated or dead," Ivan Drost said of the Dietrich Park encampment. Multiple speakers described the encampment as a long‑standing community that connects residents to services including substance‑use counseling, mental‑health treatment and the Mobile Ingham County Health Clinic.

Speakers also asked the city to hold the receiver accountable for management decisions and to require a longer relocation timeline: "30 days to vacate is not a possibility," a tenant named Jody wrote in testimony read aloud during public comment. Several callers urged the council to press for 90 days and for direct, upfront relocation assistance to cover deposits and first month’s rent rather than a post‑vacate payment.

There was no council action recorded on either the Sycamore Townhomes receivership or the Fallen Angels encampment during the May 12 meeting. Public commenters asked elected members to use their authority and public voice to influence the mayor’s office and the city attorney, and to attend the May 24 site visits to gather firsthand information.