Every day, more and more of our friends and neighbors face serious housing issues. These concerns mainly fall into two areas: housing quality and housing security. But for decades, government housing solutions have been inadequate. Mold, pests, heat and water issues are rampant even in public housing. This isn’t fair to the families living in these conditions, nor to the taxpayers funding them. We all deserve better.
I’m calling on both the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) to do more, including implementing stronger oversight of these agencies. As a state representative, I shouldn’t be hearing from 90-year-old women who have been trying to get their heat fixed for months, or seeing pictures of mold colonies in homes.
Unfortunately, the quality of housing is only half the problem. The other half is affordability. It’s recommended that no more than one-third of a household’s income should go to housing, but as anyone renting or paying a mortgage today knows, that’s often a far cry from reality. I’ve met with the Home Builders Association, and the outlook is grim. We have dedicated builders building homes today, but they’re part of an aging workforce. Young people aren’t entering the homebuilding trade, and while we often encourage kids toward college, that doesn’t fully explain the gap. Now more than ever, we need to show young people the value in working with their hands.
In Michigan, the housing shortage is very real, and it’s pushing rent and mortgage prices even higher. Inflation only increased the cost to build new homes. Now, when prices have never been higher, there’s a very real possibility that the Trump Administration will enforce tariffs on all kinds of building materials. These irresponsible tariffs are projected to raise the cost of steel and aluminum materials by billions of dollars, burdening our local builders and halting affordable housing progress. Michiganders deserve leaders focused on saving working families money, not on raising costs and diverting even more of their hard-earned paychecks.
All of this is to say nothing of affordable housing, which is even harder to come by. Keeping people housed is far more cost-effective than trying to return someone to housing after they’ve become unhoused. However, many communities resist affordable housing in their areas. This is commonly referred to as NIMBYism (Not In My Backyard). While it’s clear that there isn’t enough housing – especially affordable housing – finding consensus on where to place it is a major challenge.
So, what can be done? The housing problems we face are obvious, but the solutions are not so clear. More funding isn’t the answer. After all, indiscriminately pouring more money into the system has led us to where we are today. I believe the best solution is a focus on strengthening the services already administered by HUD, because housing is not just a Michigan issue; it’s a national one. I’ve talked with U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens’ office about mold issues in Pontiac, and I’m committed to continuing this important work with her on housing reform.
Part of that work continues with my Renters and Homeowners Resource Fair on Monday, March 31, from 4-6 p.m. at the Bowen Center in Pontiac (52 Bagley Street). My goal is to keep people in their homes and hear from them directly about how the State of Michigan can make life easier. I won’t be alone in this effort – I’ll be joined by community organizations, activists, and partners such as staffers from Rep. Haley Stevens’ office, HUD, MSHDA, Catholic Services and more. I hope you can join us as we work together to find solutions to this growing problem.