- Two siblings died in -7°C van during housing crisis
- City missed November alert about family's unstable housing
- New policies require in-person eviction risk assessments
- 24-hour hotline and vehicle welfare checks implemented
Detroit faces a watershed moment in homeless services after 9-year-old Darnell Currie Jr. and 2-year-old A’millah Currie succumbed to hypothermia in a vehicle on February 10. The tragedy occurred as overnight temperatures plunged below -6°C, with the family’s van losing heat in a casino parking garage they’d chosen for its free access to restrooms.
Mayor Mike Duggan revealed the mother, Tateona Williams, had contacted city services 11 weeks earlier when temporary housing neared expiration. Despite this warning, no follow-up occurred – a systemic failure that’s prompted three immediate reforms. Outreach teams must now conduct face-to-face evaluations within 24 hours of any housing instability report involving minors.
Homelessness experts note Detroit’s crisis reflects national trends, with U.S. Department of Housing data showing a 12% rise in unsheltered families since 2020. Unlike Minneapolis’ successful warming center network (which reduced cold-related deaths by 42% last winter), Detroit historically prioritized phone consultations over physical verifications – a policy gap now being addressed.
The revised protocol integrates real-time coordination between police patrols and social workers. Officers will systematically check vehicles in high-risk areas, while a dedicated hotline routes emergency housing requests to on-call specialists. Psychologists emphasize that children in unstable housing develop chronic stress biomarkers at 3x the rate of peers, underscoring the urgency of these measures.
Duggan’s administration faces scrutiny over why 1,200 available shelter beds went unused during the fatal cold snap. Early investigations suggest families often avoid congregate shelters due to safety concerns, prompting plans for private family units at three new facilities. The mayor’s emotional meeting with Williams before her children’s funeral reportedly influenced these infrastructure changes.
As Detroit implements these reforms, housing advocates urge other Rust Belt cities to adopt similar verification systems. With Great Lakes regions experiencing 34% more extreme cold days since 2015, proactive outreach could prevent hundreds of weather-related tragedies annually. The city plans to audit all 580 homeless assistance cases from the past six months by April 15.