Michigan Civil Rights Commission to Hold Detroit Public Hearing on Housing Discrimination on Nov. 8

Hearing Begins a Months-Long Examination of Discrimination in Home Buying, Mortgage Lending and Renting

Lansing, MI-On Nov. 8, 2023, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission will hold the first of several public hearings to hear directly from Michigan residents on their experience of discrimination in buying, renting, or obtaining financing to purchase a home.

The Nov. 8 hearing marks the launch of an extensive effort lead by the Commission and its operational arm, the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, to take a comprehensive look at housing discrimination in Michigan and to develop policy and regulatory recommendations to address it.

The Detroit hearing is the first of several hearings and a Civil Rights Summit that the Commission will hold around the state to hear firsthand about the discriminatory practices individuals have faced in attempting to obtain a home.

The first public hearing will be held from 4 PM -- 7 PM on November 8, 2023, at Martin Luther King Jr. and Sr. High School, 3200 E. Lafayette Street, Detroit, MI 48207-3812.

The Detroit public hearing is one of at least four that will be held in Michigan communities from November 2023 to April of 2024, followed by a Civil Rights Summit on June 12 in Detroit. Tentative hearing dates and locations are:

• February 7: a virtual public hearing open to residents anywhere in Michigan
• March 16: Flint/Saginaw/Bay City public hearing, location TBA
• April 28^: Grand Rapids, location TBA
• June 12: Civil Rights Summit on Housing, to be held at The Icon, The Icon, 200 Walker Street, Detroit, MI 48207

"The series of hearings on housing discrimination followed by a Civil Rights Summit in June mark a significant investment by the Commission in revealing the scope and impact of housing discrimination on the communities we serve," said John E. Johnson, Executive Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. "We urge any resident of the state who has faced the specter of housing discrimination to come to a hearing and tell your story."

The Michigan Civil Rights Commission was created by the Michigan Constitution to safeguard constitutional and legal guarantees against discrimination. The Commission is charged with investigating alleged discrimination against any person because of religion, race, color or national origin, genetic information, sex, age, marital status, height, weight, arrest record, and physical and mental disability. The Michigan Department of Civil Rights serves as the operational arm of the Commission.

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