Title
Proclamation Celebrating National Fair Housing Month
Memorandum
WHEREAS, April 11, 2024, is the 56th anniversary of passage of The Fair Housing Act; and
WHEREAS, the Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing in relation to race, color, national origin, religion, sex (gender identity, sexual orientation and sexual harassment), familial status and disability, regarding renting or buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing assistance, or participating in other housing-focused activities; and
WHEREAS, millions of illegal acts of housing discrimination happen each year, but most remain unreported because they are difficult to recognize; and
??WHEREAS, housing providers may impose policies to exclude renters or other housing participants with records of criminal conviction under the Fair Housing Act, unless the amount of criminal-history based restrictions often relates to one race, national origin, or other protected characteristic over another, or if housing providers use criminal history as pretext for unequal treatment of individuals because of race, national origin or other protected characteristics; and
WHEREAS, the National Fair Housing Alliance's 2023 report shows the highest number of housing discrimination complaints ever filed; and
WHEREAS, in 2022, the largest portion of housing discrimination complaints filed (53.26 percent) were due to disability; and
WHEREAS, in 2019, 18% of people with disabilities lived below the federal poverty level and another 34% living above the FPL were struggling to afford basic needs; and
WHEREAS, communities in Michigan should take stock of and survey the availability, building and funding of accessible, affordable, and inclusive housing and publicize the information; and
WHEREAS, Michigan municipalities should increase the number of accessible housing units, increase the amount of universally designed housing and adaptable units and homes, and increase the amount of accessible, single-famil...
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