A version of this column originally appeared in The Alpena News.
Shelter is one of the most basic things that we as humans need to survive, and it should go without saying that we all deserve a decent, safe and affordable place to call home.
And yet, there are many people right here in Michigan and across our country who have been turned away from safe and affordable housing because of how they plan to pay their rent. Families with non-wage sources of income, such as Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) for example, often have a hard time finding landlords who will rent to them. And, to date, there is no statewide law in Michigan that prevents this type of discrimination from happening.
So, what are HCVs and why are they important? The HCV program is the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) largest rental assistance program and it allows income-eligible participants to choose housing in the private market and use a combination of their income and government assistance to pay their rent.
HCVs are a proven tool in helping to fill the housing affordability gap caused by incomes that haven’t kept pace with rising rents and for tens of thousands of Michigan families with low incomes they have been a true lifeline in helping them to make ends meet and get back on their feet. In fact, according to HUD’s state data, HCVs helped nearly 65,000 income-eligible Michigan households–41% with children–afford a safe place to live in 2021. This includes families in every county in Michigan.
While HCVs offer enormous promise in helping to address Michigan’s affordable housing crisis and helping children to reach their full potential by growing up in healthier neighborhoods and safer homes, funding shortages, coupled with discrimination by landlords, have significantly limited their effectiveness. And because families that use HCVs are disproportionately Black as a direct result of our country’s long history of economic and housing discrimination, landlords who refuse vouchers, regardless of their motivations, are effectively perpetuating racial discrimination and contributing to a modern-day form of redlining that exposes families that are already struggling to the environmental risks found in unhealthy living situations.
The good news is that the Michigan Senate recently passed legislation–Senate Bills 205, 206 and 207–that would make it illegal for a landlord with more than four rental units in Michigan, a property manager or any other entity to discriminate against anyone based on their legal income source, which would include not only HCVs, but also public retirement benefits, veteran benefits and other government assistance programs.
This legislation would go a long way in protecting Michiganders from source-of-income discrimination, while also helping them to secure safe and affordable housing in neighborhoods of their choosing. It would also result in better outcomes for Michigan’s children, who need safe and healthy places to grow up so that they can stay in good health, do well in school and be successful later in life. In fact, according to data collected and analyzed as a part of the Moving to Opportunity experiment, children whose families use vouchers to move to well-resourced neighborhoods before reaching adolescence experience an increased college attendance rate, significant increases in total lifetime earnings and total lifetime taxes paid, and increased economic security among subsequent generations, as compared to their peers who remain in public housing.
As a co-leader of the Coalition for Expanding Housing Access and a long-time advocate for equal access to housing opportunities, the Michigan League for Public Policy applauds the Senate for its passage of Senate Bills 205, 206 and 207, and we encourage other agencies and individuals to join us and our 120 partners from across the state in urging the House to follow the Senate’s lead. For the sake of our state’s children and families, it’s time for Michigan to join the growing number of states in our country that have already made statewide source-of-income protections a reality.
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
