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Civil Rights Board advances ordinance rewrite, launches education push as residents demand housing enforcement
Summary
At its Feb. 5 meeting, the Kalamazoo City Civil Rights Board discussed revisions to its founding ordinance pending city attorney edits, authorized an education subcommittee to begin planning community outreach, and heard public calls to enforce the city's housing equity ordinance after reporting on conditions at Fox Ridge apartments.
Kalamazoo City's Civil Rights Board on Feb. 5 said it is waiting for edits from the city attorney before finalizing a rewrite of the board's enabling ordinance and directed an education subcommittee to begin regular planning meetings to prepare community outreach while enforcement language is refined.
The board's discussion opened with a status update that staff had submitted the board's proposed revisions to the city attorney and were awaiting return edits. City Attorney Leo Liao told the board that state action this winter changed one enforcement question the board had been considering: "Late December Governor Whitmer signed into legislation law that would prohibit landlords from denying rental housing based on source of income," Liao said, adding that the new state law has been folded into the board's draft language.
The board decided to move forward on public education about the ordinance even while the rewrite proceeds. Vice Chair Lukeman said the education subcommittee should begin meeting monthly to create a plan and materials for the community; members discussed inviting community organizations that already "have their hands on the pulse of what the community needs." Director Calderon urged the subcommittee to involve community partners for distribution once materials are finalized.
The education push reflects frustration among board members about the slow pace of the rewrite and a desire to make the current ordinance operational for the public while edits continue. "We are not changing the foundations of the ordinance," a board member said, urging the board to begin education based on the ordinance as it stands while enforcement language is finalized.
Public commenters applauded the board's progress and urged stronger enforcement of housing standards. Toby Hannah Davies, co-chair of the Isaac Housing Task Force, praised the 2020 Housing Equity Ordinance and the board's work to make enforcement meaningful, and pledged community support for public hearings at the City Commission. Another resident asked the board to investigate why city inspections apparently continued to clear units at Fox Ridge apartments despite reporting of substandard conditions.
Board members and several attendees described how city inspections work: an initial certification inspection walks through every unit; properties receive correction notices and are reinspected within 30 days on units that failed. Board members said inspection workloads and past pandemic backlogs have produced delays, and that changes in property management and HUD ownership at Fox Ridge complicate accountability.
Why it matters: the board's ordinance rewrite determines how complaints under the Housing Equity Ordinance and other civil-rights complaints are handled and whether the board will have stronger enforcement authority versus only recommending action. With the recent state law on source-of-income discrimination, the local ordinance language will need to align with state requirements while clarifying local enforcement pathways.
What the board directed: the education subcommittee was asked to begin work immediately and to coordinate with city staff to request training on the ordinance language. Director Hewitt Smith (staff) acknowledged the request and offered to work with the committee to develop training and outreach.
Public response and next steps: community members said they will attend future public hearings at the City Commission when the board's revised ordinance and enforcement language go forward. Board members said they will continue to press the city attorney for usable draft language and emphasized that education for tenants and landlords should accompany any ordinance changes so residents know how to file complaints and what to expect from inspections.
Ending: The board left the ordinance rewrite on its agenda as a work in progress, with education and enforcement the immediate focus while staff and the city attorney complete written edits for the board's review.
