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City law and HRD say they’re engaging with tenants as Leland House case moves through bankruptcy
Summary
Law department and housing staff told council they will meet tenants’ representatives about Leland House, that bankruptcy proceedings are pending, and that HRD is providing relocation help while legal and policy options (including cooperative ownership) are explored.
Council members pressed the administration on Feb. 10 for concrete action after tenants of the Leland House and similar buildings raised concerns about displacement and building conditions. The Law Department and the Housing & Revitalization Department (HRD) described immediate relief and ongoing legal steps.
Graham Anderson of the Law Department said the city has a scheduled meeting with tenants' counsel and that a bankruptcy-court hearing is set for Feb. 24. "We have a meeting with tenant union council today at 03:00," Anderson said, and he described court activity that could affect the building's future.
Michelle Robinson of HRD said the department is providing temporary relocation assistance and case-management services to impacted households. Robinson said some households have been placed temporarily with family members while others are in hotels; HRD aims to house displaced residents as close as practical to the original units. "Individuals impacted with buildings that have been vacated do have access to our program for case management, wraparound, and relocation services, both temporary and permanent," she said.
Councilmembers suggested the city explore public-acquisition options, including converting buildings to tenant cooperatives or other public ownership where feasible. Law Department counsel said templates and legal approaches exist and offered to work with council offices on pilot approaches if the Leland effort produces a workable model.
Members asked HRD and law staff to send memos summarizing options — including how vouchers and housing-agent relationships interact with private landlords — and to coordinate with Buildings/BC on vacate notifications so council offices can proactively assist constituents.
Next step: Law Department and HRD will provide updates after their meetings with tenant representatives and before the next scheduled court date; councilmembers requested a memo outlining possible city acquisition or cooperative templates that could be used for similar cases.
