A stretch of Faust Avenue on Detroit's west side has hit its breaking point. Neighbors say squatters are quietly slipping into two vacant homes while someone appears to have rigged up an illegal energy hookup, and residents are done watching from the porch. With a long history of blight on the block, people say they are now worried about safety, vandalism and ballooning utility bills, so they called in local TV's Problem Solvers to force the issue.
Residents Turn To TV's Problem Solvers
Residents told the station they recently spotted what they described as "alleged squatting" at two houses on Faust and reported what looked like an illegal power connection, according to FOX 2 Detroit. The outlet also revisited a 2023 mess on the same block, when a front yard piled up with tires and furniture triggered more than $11,000 in fines and a public health declaration, per a separate FOX 2 Detroit report. Neighbors told the station the repeated problems make them doubt anything will change unless city officials and utilities feel outside pressure.
Utility Hazards And How To Report
DTE Energy warns that meter tampering, bypasses or other unauthorized hookups are not just a bill issue; they can spark fires, cause electrocution and land people in criminal trouble, along with hefty repair costs, according to DTE Energy. The company tells customers not to play detective at the meter, but instead to report suspicious activity through its confidential theft tipline. When tampering is confirmed, DTE says it can launch investigations and seek repayment for both repairs and lost service.
Numbers Show A Citywide Strain
These block-level complaints are unfolding against a citywide crunch. Detroit's 2024 Point-in-Time count documented 1,725 people experiencing homelessness, including 305 living unsheltered, a roughly 34% jump in unsheltered residents compared with the previous count, according to the Detroit Continuum of Care's 2024 summary. Community organizations say climbing unsheltered numbers are stretching outreach teams and shelter beds, which in turn pushes more people toward informal shelter in vacant houses. Advocates and neighbors alike say Detroit needs a mix of more housing, stronger outreach and firm but consistent enforcement to keep both streets and utilities safe.
Neighbors Want Quicker Enforcement
Residents told the station they want the city to move faster to board up and secure empty houses on Faust and for DTE to inspect meters and chase down any unauthorized hookups. The utility's customer guide spells out how to report suspected energy theft and lists emergency contacts for dangerous situations, a step neighbors are encouraged to take if they see exposed wires or clearly unsafe connections, per DTE Energy. Until those houses are locked up and the meters checked, people along Faust say they will keep pushing code enforcement and the power company to treat their block like the priority they believe it should be.
