Hey BridgeDetroit readers! 👋🏼
Residents living in manufactured homes and advocates are fighting back against rent hikes and ‘deplorable’ conditions.
One woman doesn’t let her son play outside in the summer because of the stench of sewage.
Another worries that if her rent keeps rising, she’ll end up homeless.
They both live in manufactured housing — the largest source of unsubsidized affordable housing in the country, particularly for seniors and low-income households. But advocates say that type of housing is quickly becoming unaffordable as private equity firms buy up parks and hike up rents.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reporting on the challenges Michiganders living in the factory built housing face.
They are in a tough middle ground where they’re both renters and homeowners, paying for land where their home (which they may own) sits. That means when rent increases, they can’t simply move their home because it costs thousands of dollars, leaving them trapped.
At the same time, the state agency responsible for regulating the manufactured housing industry struggles to contact park owners to address substandard living conditions. There are 1,032 licensed manufactured housing communities in Michigan and half of the licensed owners are located out of state, according to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).
For this story, we spoke to manufactured housing residents and took a look at proposed legislation to regulate the industry.
Detroit hero honored on forever stamps
William Lambert, a pivotal organizer of Detroit’s role in the Underground Railroad, helped free thousands of enslaved people.
He’s one of 10 men and women the U.S. Postal Service is honoring on its forever stamps, recognizing those who guided enslaved people to freedom through the secret network of routes and safehouses before the Civil War.
I spoke with Kimberly Simmons, executive director and president of the nonprofit Detroit River Project. Lambert personally rowed Simmons’ third great grandmother across the Detroit River in 1843 after her escape to freedom from St. Louis, Missouri.
Learn more about Detroit’s William Lambert.
📣 On Your Radar
🌙 RAMADAN LATE NIGHT BITES: Coffee shops and food spots in metro Detroit are buzzing well into the night with extended hours for Ramadan, the holy month when Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from before sunrise to sunset, pray at the mosque and give to charity. BridgeDetroit reporter Jena Brooker and I spoke to business owners and customers about the expanded options and what it means for the community. Plus, a list of some late night offerings during Ramadan. Read more.
Are you curious about Ramadan? Here’s a quick thread about the holy month!
🏢 WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE: Did you know that women in Michigan, who worked full time year round, made about 81 cents per dollar compared to men? In the Detroit, the gap is 91 cents on the dollar for women, in metro Detroit it’s 77 cents on the dollar and in Wayne County it’s 83 cents on the dollar, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Read the 2024 Women in the Michigan Workforce report.
💵 MEDICAL DEBT: A new program is aiming to relieve medical debt for up to 300,000 Wayne County residents. The county is partnering with the national nonprofit RIP Medical Debt to eliminate as much as $700 million in medical debt for those who are eligible, after Wayne County Commissioners approved a contract to work with the organization. Read more.
💰 TANGLED TITLES: There are at least 5,500 intergenerational properties in Detroit — worth more than $268 million — with unclear ownership, according to a Detroit Future City report. Often referred to as heirs’ properties, or tangled titles, it’s a legal situation that arises when a person dies and leaves behind a property without formal legal proceedings, like a will, to prove who owns it. Learn more and find out ways to keep your family home.
🏚️ FEMA AID: Michiganders in nine counties, including Wayne County, who are recovering from severe storms and tornadoes that tore through the region last August can still apply for federal home repair grants and rent aid. The deadline is April 8. Learn more.
🔨 REPAIRS: Do you live in the Dexter-Linwood area and need touch ups on your home? The nonprofit Dream of Detroit is offering home improvements, including installing ramps and widening doorways, for residents 55 or older. The deadline to apply is March 31. Learn more.
Thank you to everyone who came to our “Meet the Reporters” event last week. It was great to chat with our readers and community and learn about the issues most important to you!
As always, you can reach me at nrahman@freepress.com.
Nushrat Rahman
Economic Mobility Reporter, BridgeDetroit and Detroit Free Press
