Michigan residents report housing discrimination at state commission meeting

DETROIT, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Michigan Civil Rights Commission invited residents from across the state to report housing discrimination they have faced.

"We’re hoping to hear from people about their lived circumstances – both from trying to buy property but also trying to rent property," said John Johnson Jr., the executive director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR).

The first of several public hearings began on Wednesday, at Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School in Detroit.

"I’m still being impacted by this discrimination," one resident told the commission. 

Laws at the state and federal level make it illegal to discriminate in housing based on factors such as race or color, religion, familial status, national origin, sex, disability, age, and marital status.

"It’s important that we take the time to let people share their experiences," said Jerome Reide with MDCR.

Reide said he has personally experienced discrimination when it comes to house appraisals. 

"When my house had family pictures, cultural artifacts –some from Africa and places like that–  we found that we got a much lower appraisal than when those things weren’t there," he said. "And that’s a pretty common experience."

The hearings aim to gather extensive data from the experiences of Michigan residents, with the ultimate goal of hosting a final summit in 2024 to address, and eventually resolve, this issue.

"Some of the solutions lie in changing some of the policies and changing some of the legislation," Reide said. 

The next public meeting will be virtual, on Feb. 7. Affected residents can attend the meetings or inform MDCR of housing discrimination here.