How Michigan can break down barriers to safe, affordable housing

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Having a secure and healthy place to live means brighter futures for kids, families and communities, but far too many Michiganders cannot afford this very basic survival need because statewide source of income protections have yet to be put into place here in Michigan.

That could all soon change given that legislation (Senate Bills 205 – 207 and House Bills 4062 and 4063 ) is currently in the Michigan Legislature that would make it illegal for landlords to reject tenants who plan to make rent payments using federal Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) or other non-wage sources of income, such as social security and veteran’s benefits.

HCVs are a proven tool that have helped more than 65,000 Michigan households afford a safe place to live by offsetting the cost of the rent they pay to private landlords. Nearly two-thirds of these households have incomes under $15,000 a year, 4 in 10 of these households include children and 1 in 4 of these households include a person with a disability.

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HCVs make it possible for these families to not only secure more safe and affordable housing, but also free up their hard-earned money to afford other basic needs, leading to better outcomes in health, school, work and economic security. They also are an important stimulus for the economy — generating more than $706,000,000 in revenue for Michigan landlords in 2022 — and they promote a better quality of life overall in Michigan’s communities.

While HCVs have helped tens of thousands of Michigan families find suitable homes, they could be helping so many more. The effectiveness of HCVs have, unfortunately, been greatly diminished by funding shortages and discrimination by landlords. Many qualifying families never receive an HCV, and those that do spend an average of more than two years on a waiting list first. And once families do receive their voucher, we have heard time and time again that they find it difficult to find a landlord who will rent to them in the short timeframe that is permitted by the HCV program’s rules.

What’s worse is that HCV acceptance rates are lowest in more affluent neighborhoods, where families have access to better housing, good schools, better jobs, clean air and water, and other features that greatly improve a family’s well-being.

While the legislation currently being considered by the Michigan Legislature won’t address the HCV program’s funding shortages, it will put a stop to the discrimination that families are facing simply for the way they plan to pay their rent. People think of housing discrimination as a part of our history , but it is very much alive and well when landlords can reject potential tenants based solely on their method of rent payment.

Discrimination based on source of income also has the greatest impact on households against whom it would otherwise be illegal to discriminate: families of color and those that include disabled people, older adults and children. This perpetuates racial health disparities and economic inequity.

We are hopeful that source of income discrimination is soon a thing of the past here in Michigan for the sake of families in our state who are struggling to get by and are looking for a stepping stone in pursuing self-sufficiency.

Families typically use their vouchers for less than five years, during which time they are able to become more economically secure and exit the program. If vouchers were accepted by more landlords in well-resourced areas with better opportunities for health and upward mobility, just imagine how much more of a positive impact that would have on our state’s families and children.

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