U.S. housing crisis: Neighbours organize ‘flash mobs’ to stop thieves from stripping empty homes

DETROIT— To anyone driving by, the historic Van Dyke Place mansion looked like it was finally getting a facelift.

A couple of contractors were perched on scaffolding outside the long-abandoned landmark. A forklift operator was hauling blocks of limestone out a gaping hole in the second storey.

But by the time neighbours starting getting home from work, the construction crew had stacked dozens of trophies on the mansion’s driveway — century-old stone balusters, fireplace mantles, even the balcony that had been hanging over the front door that morning.

That set off alarm bells and sent a rallying cry across The Villages neighbourhood via phone and text message: “Van Dyke Place is being stripped.”

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