FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 12, 2024

Contact: Michael Czaczkes, media@vera.org

MICHIGAN - One hundred organizations have addressed a letter to Michigan’s elected leadership, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, and Speaker of the House Joe Tate to request passage of the Fair Chance Access to Housing Act (HB 4878). The letter states that, “housing is a human right, and every Michigander deserves a place to call home.” If passed, the legislation would limit landlords’ abilities to discriminate against people with conviction and arrest histories by adjusting when and how criminal background checks can be used in the application process for rental housing.

Organizations in support include Nation Outside, the Vera Institute of Justice, Michigan AFL-CIO, Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights, fair housing centers from across Michigan, the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness, Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, Michigan Consortium of Higher Education, Detroit Action, and several nonprofit housing developers.

“There is a vicious cycle of folks who go from incarceration to homelessness, back to incarceration. The Fair Chance Access to Housing Act will help to interrupt this cycle and reduce barriers to housing for the more than 2 million Michiganders with conviction/arrest histories and their families. November is Homelessness Awareness Month and it’s time to address this issue,” said Lisa Chapman, director of public policy of the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness.

The letter is especially urgent as housing discrimination against people with conviction histories is one of the highest reported forms of housing discrimination in Michigan, according to a report commissioned by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Earlier this year, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission endorsed the legislation.

“If passed, Michigan would lead the nation with the strongest statewide protections in the country. The 100 organizations in support of the Fair Chance Access to Housing Act recognize that ensuring opportunities for people to rebuild their lives after arrest or incarceration will make us all safer, stabilize our neighborhoods, and enable people to contribute to Michigan's economy,” said John Bae, director of the Vera Institute of Justice’s Opening Doors initiative.

Advocates will gather this Wednesday, November 13, at the state capitol, to ask legislators to pass the Fair Chance Access to Housing Act, among other tenant protections, before the lame duck session ends. The letter concludes, “Now is the time to pass the Fair Chance Access to Housing Act so that all Michiganders can find a place to call home.”

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About the Vera Institute of Justice: The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. Vera’s headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York, with offices in Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit vera.org.

About Nation Outside: Nation Outside is a statewide grassroots and advocacy organization entirely led by the justice-impacted and formerly incarcerated. Nation Outside’s mission is to drive policy and practice innovation that builds transformative systems of support for justice-impacted families and communities. For more information, visit nationoutside.org