People discuss housing issues facing Metro Detroit at Right to Counsel Law meeting
(CBS DETROIT) - Finding an affordable place to live in the Metro Detroit area has gotten harder.
Metro Detroit community leaders and residents gathered at The Commons for the Detroit Right to Counsel Law meeting to weigh in on the problems and solutions people face in the housing market today.
We caught up with Detroit Council Member Mary Waters outside of the meeting.
"We don't have enough housing. True affordable housing. That's the problem," Waters said.
During the meeting, people shared their stories of housing issues and what they think are contributing to today's difficult housing market.
"People are stuck in a rental market where there's really not much out there, which means that landlords can charge an incredible amount of money, $1,500 for something that went for $700 before COVID," Mike Shane with the Moratorium Now Coalition said.
The issues people are facing in finding and keeping affordable housing vary and impact people differently.
"Black women who have children are more likely to be evicted from their homes than every other group in this country. And it's not because we don't pay rent," Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson an evictions study researcher said.
Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield has been a long-time champion of housing issues in Detroit. She attended the event and highlighted additional issues in the housing market.
"Some of the units that are being built are not conducive for families, people with children. So that's an issue as well, too," Sheffield said. "So I would just say it's too high. And then also, it is not enough."
Waters said public meetings where people are sharing problems and solutions for housing are good steps in the direction of finding permanent solutions for the growing problem of lack of affordable housing.
"If we get housing that's income-based, then you won't have so many evictions," Waters said. "Right now, rent is just skyrocketing. People cannot afford that. Detroiters cannot afford that."
