Author
Column: Everyone has a role in ending homelessness
November has arrived again, and that means it’s Homelessness Awareness Month. It’s most important to be aware that it is possible to end homelessness, and that everyone has a role in our collective achievement of that goal. The primary cause of homelessness is a lack of affordable housing. In Michigan, the shortage of rental units […]
Column: Schools can support success for all students with new meal funding
Our kids need proper nutrition to stay healthy and go to school ready to learn. In the recently signed Fiscal Year 2024 state budget, our Legislature and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have provided funding to enable schools to permanently offer free breakfast and lunch to every student in grades pre-K through 12. Now, it’s incumbent upon […]
Column: Filter First legislation would ensure safe drinking water in schools, childcare centers
It’s been almost a decade since the start of the Flint water crisis, and yet there is still no law in our state to ensure that the drinking water in our schools and childcare centers is safe for Michigan kids. That could all change if the Filter First bills recently passed by the Senate (Senate […]
Column: Expanding affordable housing access will improve health and education outcomes for kids
Our state has long failed children, particularly those from families with low incomes, when it comes to education. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count project, for the last two decades, Michigan has ranked near the bottom of the states in education, with the rate of fourth-graders not proficient in reading and eighth-graders […]
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 […]