Fighting for "Housing Is a Human Right"

It's Winter again and every year we know temperatures are going to go below the freezing point. If you're homeless or living in poverty, there's no way to escape the cold and protect yourself from the pain of freezing wind on your skin without shelter.

Yet, across the country, thousands of cities and municipalities are tearing down thousands of low-income affordable housing units (aka public housing) in favor of mixed income housing. The problem is if you have no income or chance of a living wage job (like thousands of people in Detroit),  and you've been drastically time-limited off of public assistance (like Gov. Snyder has done to thousands of families across Michigan), what are your housing options?

These are questions MWRO and the Housing is a Human Rights Coalition discuss on a daily basis. You ask, but aren't there places where low income people (under 62 years old) can get housing assistance and take shelter?

Detroit Shelter. Photo courtesy: VoiceOfDetroit.net

• Forget the homeless shelters, they're full and oftentimes not safe spaces for children.
• Forget Section 8, the wait list (if you can get on one) is 2-4 years long.
• Forget HUD public housing projects, thousands of units are torn down annually and those that get saved are converted to senior housing apartments.
• Forget privately managed apartment buildings, they require credit checks, large deposits, first and last month rents, steady income, silent children and babies -- oh, yeah...and a pint of blood.

In fact, more people are being displaced from Detroit affordable housing as we post this:  Developers, HUD, Non-Profits Collude To Move Detroit Seniors, Disabled Out Of Downtown Griswold Apts.

In Detroit and across the state of Michigan millions of dollars in federal housing assistance aid come through (like the Step Forward Program) to help families prevent foreclosure and to keep homeless shelters running. These are surely needed funds.

But what we also need are programs and policies to rebuild good housing stock in Detroit -- not tear it down -- specifically for LOW INCOME families. At this time there are no public officials, private developers, non-profit organizations or housing authorities addressing this critical need.

MWRO and HHRC are working with local residents and officials to educate the community on this dire situation and build solutions. We invite you to learn more about this on the HHRC website.

To sign up for our next set of housing workshops, call MWRO at (313) 964-0618.

Taking a stand for low income people and affordable housing in Detroit

Everyday at MWRO we get calls from people all across Detroit asking if we know anywhere they can move because they're about to be evicted from housing they can't afford. If you've got little to no income, like thousands of ex-welfare recipient families who've been kicked off public assistance because of time limits, you know there is almost nowhere for you to go.

The shelters are full. Public housing buildings are being torn down. Hockey stadium hawks are buying up low income apartment buildings in the Cass Corridor to be bulldozed. Multi-income HUD units require credit checks while tossing out families for the slightest infractions. Section 8 vouchers are harder to get and with wait lists a few years long. In sum, it's hard to be low income and live in Detroit.

But look around and you'll see there's plenty of hustle and bustle around town to make a dime off of Detroit's pain. Developers are buying up thousands of Detroit and Wayne County-owned properties to flip them or flattened them out for new units that will bring higher rents and a new influx of residents. Moreover, the Wayne County Treasurer's Office still accepts bids from wanna-be-gold-diggers all around the world looking to make a quick buck off Detroit real estate.

Meanwhile, thousands of Detroiters -- born and raised here! -- are being squeezed out of the city they call home. Gentrification is in full swing.

We've had about enough of this and intend on teaching every low income Detroiter that we can find how to get for themselves one of these government-owned homes. If anyone deserves to catch a break in this despicable political economy, it's the people who REALLY make this City thrive: mothers, fathers, children, senior citizens, neighbors, church members, bus riders, students, veterans, community groups and other grassroots people.

Join us with the Housing Is a Human Right Coalition at our next House Bid Workshop on September 24 to learn how we're helping Detroiters secure their place in this city we love. Call MWRO at (313) 964-0618 to reserve a spot at the workshop.

Photo by MWRO.