I attended an event organized by an advocacy group called MIRentIsTooDamnHigh (MIRITDH) on Tuesday, September 5th in Lansing, MI, to rally for policy changes to help make rental housing more affordable in Michigan.
The rally started with speeches on the capitol steps followed by music, and then chant training on how the group would take action inside the capitol building. MIRITDH is seeking four changes to housing policy:
- Repeal of the MI State Ban on Rent Controls
- Investment in Social Housing
- Housing First Strategy
- Renter’s Bill of Rights
View my PDF presentation on The Rent Is Too Damn High-Presentation
Repeal of the MI State Ban on Rent Controls
Rent control directly regulates or limits a landlord’s ability to raise rents annually in a manner which is excessive or arbitrary by only permitting rent to increase by a certain percentage or some other formula set in rent control policy. It provides renters with the security of knowing that they will not be “priced out” due to excessive rent increases. According to MichiganRadio, “Michigan banned local governments from enacting any type of rent regulation in 1988, after a handful of cities – notably Detroit – made moves toward local ordinances.”
Investment in Social Housing
Social housing comes in two forms the best that I can figure out – government owned property such as low-income housing, and non-profit owned co-operative housing. I live in a housing co-operative myself, we do not have a landlord, all the residents are members of the organization. We make decisions through democratic processes. We share not only in the governance, but also in the maintenance and management duties, and we utilize bulk purchasing for cleaning supplies and food for having shared meals together. We also produce some of food with a garden. The motive for co-operative housing is creating community with affordability instead of profits going to a landlord. MIRITDH is advocating for the state to invest $4B in social housing, which they say will support the development of 40,000 – 50,000 new social housing units.
Housing First Strategy
The “housing first” model, holds that providing housing for homeless people is the most crucial factor in ending homelessness. Instead of criminalizing or pathologizing people, Housing First strategy is a successful evidence-based approach to reducing homelessness.
Often, low-income housing facilities require people to jump through hoops of employment training, addiction counseling, mental health treatment before they are allowed to reside in low-income housing units. These challenges are insurmountable while being unhoused, and having such requirements is detrimental to solving homelessness. Local housing advocate, Tami VandenBerg, former director of WellHouseGR, argues that the Housing-First ultimately is cheaper for the city because it negates the need for emergency shelter, soup kitchens and other services. Dwelling Place is another organization that offers a housing-first option as well as support services to help people meet their challenges toward long term housing stability.
MIRITDH is calling for MI legislators to infuse $1 B into direct service, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing with a housing first lens.
Renter’s Bill of Rights
Renters around the country, and in Michigan, are insisting on more protections against landlord abuse and empowerment as renters. MIRITDH is calling for provisions to include:
- Fair chance housing for citizens returning from incarceration
- Tenants to have the right to organize and have counsel
- Relocation assistance in the case of red tagging (when a house is condemned)
- Legal protection against discrimination based on housing status
- Just cause eviction
- Renter agency for repairs
- a ban on hidden rental fees and other such policies.
The rally group went to the gallery area of the MI House of Representatives chamber, where they held banners and chanted slogans. Unfortunately there were no legislators present that day to hear their chants. However they must be hearing for the people advocating, because two days after the rally.. a bill was introduced Thursday would repeal a Michigan law banning local governments from enacting rent control ordinances.
The organization is joined by over 25 endorsing groups. More information can be found at MIRentIsTooDamnHigh website.