Michigan Department of Civil Rights
04/23/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/23/2024 14:51
Michigan Civil Rights Commission to Hold Public Hearing on Housing Discrimination in Grand Rapids on Sunday, April 28
Lansing, MI-The Michigan Civil Rights Commission and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights will hold an in-person public hearing on Sunday, April 28, 2024, to hear directly from Grand Rapids area residents on discrimination they have experienced in the effort to buy, sell, rent or finance a home.
The hearing will be held from 4pm to 7pm at the Center for Community Transformation at 1530 Madison Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507.
"We know that housing impacts every aspect of life, including health, wealth, security and peace of mind," said MDCR Executive Director John E. Johnson, Jr. "The Commission's determination to hear directly from the people who have suffered due to housing discrimination will provide the framework for policy recommendations designed to eliminate it."
The Commission is also interested in hearing from individuals with disabilities who have been denied housing or reasonable accommodations to provide them with an equal opportunity to access and live in a rental property.
While the April 28th public hearing will be held in Grand Rapids, it is open to people from surrounding communities and any Michigan resident.
The current Chair of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission is Gloria Lara, a west Michigan leader with longstanding ties to Grand Rapids. She is the former Executive Director of Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance in Holland, Michigan, and previously served as the chief executive officer of the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore. She has also held executive-level positions at Chrysler Corporation as well as at major automotive suppliers. Additionally, Gloria served on the Corewell Health System - West Board of Directors from 2022 to 2023, on the Spectrum Health System board from 2017 to 2022, and the Spectrum Health Hospital Group Board of Trustees from 2012 to 2017, chairing the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Committee from 2016 to 2017.
The Commission's examination of housing discrimination began with a public hearing in Detroit on Nov. 8 and a virtual hearing on Feb. 7. Following the Flint hearing on March 16, the Commission will travel to Grand Rapids to hear from residents.
The series of public hearings on housing discrimination will culminate in 2024 Civil Rights Summit on June 12, 2024, where experts, advocates and policy makers will discuss housing discrimination and develop policy and legislative initiatives to combat it.
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.
The Michigan Department of Civil Rights is charged with investigating and resolving discrimination complaints and works to prevent discrimination through educational programs that promote voluntary compliance with civil rights laws. The Department also provides information and services to businesses on diversity initiatives and equal employment law. For more information on the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, go to www.michigan.gov/mdcr.
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The hearing will be held from 4pm to 7pm at the Center for Community Transformation at 1530 Madison Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507.
"We know that housing impacts every aspect of life, including health, wealth, security and peace of mind," said MDCR Executive Director John E. Johnson, Jr. "The Commission's determination to hear directly from the people who have suffered due to housing discrimination will provide the framework for policy recommendations designed to eliminate it."
The Commission is also interested in hearing from individuals with disabilities who have been denied housing or reasonable accommodations to provide them with an equal opportunity to access and live in a rental property.
While the April 28th public hearing will be held in Grand Rapids, it is open to people from surrounding communities and any Michigan resident.
The current Chair of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission is Gloria Lara, a west Michigan leader with longstanding ties to Grand Rapids. She is the former Executive Director of Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance in Holland, Michigan, and previously served as the chief executive officer of the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore. She has also held executive-level positions at Chrysler Corporation as well as at major automotive suppliers. Additionally, Gloria served on the Corewell Health System - West Board of Directors from 2022 to 2023, on the Spectrum Health System board from 2017 to 2022, and the Spectrum Health Hospital Group Board of Trustees from 2012 to 2017, chairing the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Committee from 2016 to 2017.
The Commission's examination of housing discrimination began with a public hearing in Detroit on Nov. 8 and a virtual hearing on Feb. 7. Following the Flint hearing on March 16, the Commission will travel to Grand Rapids to hear from residents.
The series of public hearings on housing discrimination will culminate in 2024 Civil Rights Summit on June 12, 2024, where experts, advocates and policy makers will discuss housing discrimination and develop policy and legislative initiatives to combat it.
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.
The Michigan Department of Civil Rights is charged with investigating and resolving discrimination complaints and works to prevent discrimination through educational programs that promote voluntary compliance with civil rights laws. The Department also provides information and services to businesses on diversity initiatives and equal employment law. For more information on the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, go to www.michigan.gov/mdcr.
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