For Immediate Release
December 3, 2024
Contact:
Laura Millard Ross
lauramr@mlpp.org
(517) 281-1084
New report underscores critical need for swift legislation to protect Michigan families harmed by eviction
League urges Michigan Legislature to take action during lame duck session on eviction protections for families
LANSING—According to a new report from the Michigan League for Public Policy, too many Michigan families are unfairly locked out of safe housing due to injustices in eviction. The report, Opening Doors to Families Harmed by Eviction, explores current housing injustices, how eviction maintains structural racism and the need to balance the scales of the legal system to ensure more Michigan families can keep a safe, stable roof over their heads.
Michigan landlords are 17 times more likely than their tenants to have an attorney to fight for their interests in housing court and many landlords use public eviction records as a reason not to rent to families that have ever had an eviction case filed against them—no matter the circumstances or outcome of their case.
“As it stands today, landlords have a significant advantage over renters in our state’s legal system despite the fact that unfair and illegal evictions do occur. This power imbalance between landlords and tenants further exacerbates housing instability and leaves far too many families— including a disproportionate amount of families with children—without a safe place to call home,” said Michigan League for Public Policy President and CEO Monique Stanton. “That is why the League is in strong support of Senate Bill 801 and House Bill 5237 and is urging the Michigan Legislature to take action during lame duck to get these bills across the finish line. This legislation would provide for the sealing and expungement of eviction records when in the interest of justice as well as a statewide right to counsel for tenants in eviction proceedings.”
For Shearese Stapleton—who has personally struggled with housing insecurity and eviction filings in the past and now serves as the executive director of the Mothers of Joy Institute for Parenting and Family Wellness in Genesee County—these bills hold great promise for the families in crisis that she and her organization support.
“A lot of times when people are evicted, it’s because of a situation they may not have been able to control and they may not have the resources to take care of it,” said Stapleton. “For people who have evictions on their record, this legislation would help them to get housing, which is especially important for those who have children. People who are raising little humans need to have somewhere they can lay their heads so that they are able to be productive for their families.”
Evictions occur for a variety of reasons, but they are not always legal or fair. For example, landlords may try to evict tenants who call the police or emergency medical services for help, which subjects disabled people and women to a heightened threat of homelessness. In fact, according to one study, women face thousands more evictions every year than men, and Black women are more severely impacted, with evictions filed against them at nearly twice the rate of white women. Families of color—particularly Black households—are also more likely to rent because of long-standing discrimination in the real estate and lending industries, which means they face a higher risk of becoming victims to predatory landlords who rent uninhabitable homes and regularly evict tenants who cannot comply with exploitative leases.
Retaliatory evictions also occur—despite the fact that they are illegal in Michigan—when, for example, tenants complain about dangerous property conditions. In some cases, landlords have even tried to evict families whose children have been poisoned by lead in the home.
Landlords can also evict tenants on month-to-month leases with only 30 days’ notice even if they have done nothing wrong. In a typical year, Michigan landlords file eviction cases against 1 of every 6 renter households.
The Source is a Grand Rapids nonprofit actively working to help the employees of their 27 employer partners with a wide range of life challenges that prevent them from being mentally and physically present at work. Angela Rincones, a program manager at the Source, says housing is one of the top three barriers they assist with. She notes that within the nine years she has been with the organization, she has never known of a client facing eviction that had an attorney, and many clients have had trouble renting because of a past eviction or eviction filing on their record, especially if there is a balance due.
“To get those evictions off of their record would be huge. It would be one less barrier to them finding housing. A lot of the people that we work with already have low incomes, occasionally have felony convictions and low credit scores, and then have past evictions on top of it. It’s just one more thing keeping them and their children from being able to live safely. Having a safe place to sleep should be a basic human right for all people, especially for children,” said Rincones.
Whether legal or not, eviction significantly harms families, often leading to homelessness, frequent moves, job loss, maternal depression, poverty, food insecurity, emotional trauma, family separation, unsafe housing, poor health, decreased life expectancy and suicide. For children, specifically, it can also lead to setbacks in their education, impacts on their cognitive development, foster care placements, low birth weight and infant mortality.
“Our state needs to be doing more to put a stop to the devastating consequences of eviction, which most severely impact children,” said Stanton. “We need to make sure all Michiganders have a right to counsel not just in criminal court, but in housing court, too. We need to make sure a blemish on a housing record doesn’t punish families indefinitely. Protections like these will go a long way toward boosting outcomes for the 1.1 million Michigan households that rent. We urge the Michigan Legislature to act expeditiously in passing Senate Bill 801 and House Bill 5237 so more Michigan families can remain housed or more easily find safe, stable housing if they find themselves without a place to live.”
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The Michigan League for Public Policy, www.mlpp.org, is a nonprofit policy institute focused on opportunity for all. Its mission is to use data to educate, advocate and fight for policy solutions that undo historic and systemic racial and economic inequities to lift up Michiganders who have been left out of prosperity. It is the only state-level organization that addresses poverty in a comprehensive way.
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.
