LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Dozens of people gathered at the capitol on the first day of the fall legislative session to call for new laws that protect renters and increase funding for social housing initiatives.
They are part of a group called “Rent is Too Damn High”, and they are calling for rent controls that limit the price increases that landlords can put in place each year, a renter’s bill of rights and 5 billion dollars in state funding to build 50,000 new housing units and support people on the edge of homelessness.
Members of the group say that Michigan is undergoing an affordable housing crisis, and the data suggests they are right. The minimum wage in Michigan is $10.10 an hour, but most renters in the state make an average of 19.11 an hour. However, the same renter would need to make at least $21.65 an hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment without spending more than 30% of their income on housing.
Michigan democrats have already indicated that housing inequality will be a primary focus during this session, including efforts to clarify tenants’ rights, state guidelines on livability standards, and getting landlords to pay for relocation fees when those apartments get too bad.
In Lansing, members of Rent in Too Damn High say they have already gotten hundreds of more signatures of support than they hoped for, to view the group’s goals, you can head to their website at this link. When you get there, they invite you to add your name to the list of people calling for housing reform.
