Safety Net
‘The rent is too damn high’: Dems plan to tackle housing costs in Michigan
From immigrant rights’ groups and affordable housing advocates in Detroit to students in Ann Arbor and community organizers in Lansing, there’s a phrase that is said time and again when talking about housing costs: “The rent is too high.” There are variations of that – “damn” is often inserted in there, for example – but, […]
House GOP memo blasts Whitmer’s paid family leave proposal as ‘summer break for adults’
House Republican communications on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “What’s Next” address on Wednesday criticized the push for paid family leave alongside efforts to improve abortion access and transition the state to clean energy in a memo obtained by the Advance. In a list of message points dated Aug. 30, House Republicans pushed back against bills that […]
Campus food pantries are seeing greater demand — and more state dollars
SOUTH BRONX, New York City — In the South Bronx, one of the nation’s poorest communities, Hostos Community College has long positioned itself as an educational pathway out of poverty. But to make that journey, many Hostos students must contend with more than their schoolwork. Without the school’s child care center, students who are single […]
‘People are losing hope’: Advocates call on Democrats to back legislation supporting immigrants
Following Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “What’s Next” address on Wednesday, advocates praised the Democrat’s call for paid family leave, increasing access to abortion care, boosting election security, and codifying measures in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), among other initiatives – but called on the state’s elected officials to do more to protect immigrants and communities of […]
Whitmer centers health, energy, economy and democracy in ‘What’s Next’ address
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday outlined her policy priorities for the rest of the year, highlighting public health, clean energy, economic health and democracy in her “What’s Next” address prior to the Legislature returning from summer break. In January, Democrats took control of the Michigan House and Senate while retaining the governorship, holding a trifecta […]
On this day in 1840: Detroit Mayor and Michigan Gov. Hazen Pingree is born
On Aug. 30, 1840, Hazen Pingree, the future Detroit mayor and Michigan governor, was born in Denmark, Maine. The progressive Republican was first elected in Detroit in 1889. Later, he was elected governor in 1896 as the state continued its transition from the Civil War years to the industrial age. As Detroit mayor, Pingree led […]
Couch, car or curb: Defining which young person is ‘homeless’ affects aid state by state
The spectrum of youth homelessness is vast. It includes young children sleeping with their mothers in crowded shelters and families living in tent encampments in public parks. There are teenage runaways who have fled abusive homes to live on the streets and kids who spend their nights hidden in cars or abandoned buildings. But youth […]
Few states extend fertility treatment coverage to Medicaid recipients
As more states require private insurers to cover fertility-related health care, many efforts to extend similar protections to Medicaid patients this year have foundered over cost concerns. Only two states provide significant fertility coverage through Medicaid: New York, which offers fertility medications, and Illinois, where Medicaid will cover the storage of sperm or eggs for those […]
Michigan ‘bill of rights for the homeless’ to be introduced as part of larger housing package
For people experiencing homelessness, the trauma of losing access to housing is a major burden that’s often worsened by the barriers people face when trying to find housing, employment or access public services and medical care. Folks experiencing homelessness often face a Catch-22 when applying for work without a permanent address, including discomfort in applying […]
FEMA’s disaster relief fund is running low on cash. What happens now?
WASHINGTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund is in desperate need of cash, with the agency projecting at least a $4 billion deficit in the weeks ahead — even as the government responds to devastating fires in Hawaii and hurricane season continues. FEMA, however, won’t simply stop the response and recovery activities […]
That 1% cut in federal spending in the debt limit law? It’s complicated.
WASHINGTON — The debt limit law Congress approved earlier this year included a much-publicized provision that would cut all federal spending by 1% if Republicans and Democrats fail to reach agreement on the dozen government funding bills before Jan. 1. That sounds pretty threatening. But, the across-the-board automatic spending cut wouldn’t actually have any real-world […]
Gilchrist breaks down state investments aimed at closing racial health disparities
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, alongside members of the Michigan COVID-19 Racial Disparities Task Force and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), met in Detroit on Wednesday to break down the state’s continued efforts to reduce racial health disparities. Gilchrist joined DHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel and the Rev. Stephen Herrod of Bethel Baptist […]