Author
Column: There is hope in the fight against homelessness
November is Homeless Awareness Month and this year’s theme, “Homeless, not hopeless”, reminds us that we have the collective power to ensure that all Michiganders, regardless of age, disability or race, have a safe place to live. We’ve proven that during the COVID-19 pandemic as policymakers have made temporary policy changes and historic investments in […]
Column: To achieve justice, our fight against lead poisoning has to go beyond prevention
The Michigan League for Public Policy was pleased to take part in the most recent annual Lead Education Day sponsored by the Michigan Alliance for Lead Safe Homes (MIALSH). Advocates from across the state met with legislators to talk about the impact of lead on our families and communities and solutions that make all of […]
Column: Safe, accessible and affordable housing is not a ‘special’ need
A significant challenge in social justice work is apathy from people who don’t see how they will personally benefit from the policies we promote. It can be easy for people who haven’t been directly harmed by existing policies to shrug off the resulting inequities. It can be hard for them to understand why their tax […]
Column: SNAP update will help fight hunger, especially in northern Michigan
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) keeps 270,000 Michiganders, more than 40%of them children, out of poverty every year and helps ensure that families have enough to eat. SNAP’s positive impact has been limited, however, by an outdated basis for calculating benefits. President Joe Biden’s administration recently announced steps to modernize the program and increase […]
Column: Michiganders need rent relief now
It’s been six months since COVID-19 emerged in Michigan, and to say that a lot has happened since then would be an understatement. More than 105,000 Michiganders have been diagnosed with coronavirus and more than 6,500 have lost their lives. Mass business closures and layoffs have affected every county in the state, making it even […]
Column: We’re all facing the threat of COVID-19, but we’re not all in the same boat
A local Meals on Wheels program receiving 75 new requests for home-delivered meals every day. Suddenly unemployed workers hounded for repayment on payday loans. Local food banks scrambling to meet unprecedented need in their communities. A restaurant server scammed out of a rental deposit check by someone posing as an out-of-state landlord. Domestic violence survivors […]
Column: When it comes to federal regulations, your 2¢ are priceless
Over the last three years, President Donald Trump’s administration has proposed a spate of harmful administrative rules in furtherance of his cruel agenda. As he faces reelection in November, we can expect the hits to keep coming. Since these changes are being done administratively and without input or approval needed from Congress, the only real […]
Julie Cassidy: We must build the will to end homelessness in Michigan
The most recent Ending Homelessness in Michigan annual report is out, and we cannot ignore the numbers as the state grapples with a housing affordability crisis. As we work to create an economy that ensures everyone has the safe home that we all need to thrive, we must learn from our successes in reducing homelessness […]
Julie Cassidy: New HUD rule would make it easier to discriminate in housing
At a recent staff training on racial equity here at the Michigan League for Public Policy, we considered a question: If you threw a Frisbee and accidentally hit someone in the head, would your lack of ill intent absolve you of responsibility? Or would you recognize the impact of your action, though inadvertent, and apologize? […]
Julie Cassidy: We must stand against Trump’s anti-family, pro-homelessness agenda
President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to make America great. But more than halfway through his first term, his preferred policies have done little but demonstrate the disdain he holds for large swaths of our country’s population. A recent proposal by his Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to change the rules for […]
Julie Cassidy: Too many Detroiters still struggle, despite city’s progress
Ten years after the official end of the Great Recession, many Michigan families are still struggling as rising housing prices outpace post-recession income growth. For people of color, however, the housing crisis isn’t just a recent problem. The newest issue of the Michigan League for Public Policy’s Home, Health, Hope series examines Detroit as an […]