SOI Reference Sheets and Sign On Letter (Below)

Add your organization to this sign on letter for Source of Income protections

SIGN ON TO PROTECT RIGHTS OF RENTERS FROM INCOME DISCRIMINATION- SOURCE OF INCOME PROTECTIONS LEGISLATION

Tens of thousands of working MI families with kids, veterans, persons with disabilities and seniors with Housing Choice Vouchers (formerly known as Section 8 Housing Voucher program) and other non-wage legal sources of income such as SSI encounter landlords who often refuse to accept them. Low-income tenants who rely on those income sources are denied the opportunity to rent a house or apartment in the neighborhood or community of their choice.

Additionally, voucher holders are grossly underrepresented in the lowest poverty, highest opportunity census tracts and overrepresented in high-poverty and otherwise distressed neighborhoods.

Within the population of families who use vouchers, that segregating effect has the greatest impact on Black and Hispanic households, perpetuating and even worsening historical patterns of racial segregation, as well as health disparities and economic inequity.

Today, only 5% of Michigan housing units are connected to any federal rental assistance and are concentrated in areas of environmental contamination and vulnerability to natural disasters. Under current MI law, there is no clear prohibition against a landlord refusing to accept HCVs, veterans’ benefits, alimony, MDHHS cash assistance, SSI/SSDI as part of a person’s legal total combined income. ource of Income protection legislation aims to change that.

Bills have been introduced in the House (HB 4062, 4063) and Senate (SB 205, 206, 207) in 2023 to protect Michigan renters from discrimination based on their source of income. Joining 20 other states & DC (including Utah, Oklahoma and North Dakota) the Michigan Legislature should protect renter’s civil rights throughout the state, no matter where they choose to live. These bills will create genuine housing opportunities for tens of thousands of
Michigan families, helping to alleviate both the state’s affordable housing crisis and
longstanding patterns of housing segregation, discrimination and inequity.

We support this legislation and ask that the bills receive a committee hearing and be
passed.

Michigan can’t wait any longer- the time is now!

Remove barriers to housing by ensuring that MI tenants are protected from income discrimination.