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Public hearing on Fair Chance Access to Rental Housing draws testimony from returning residents
Summary
Council opened a public hearing on the Fair Chance Access to Rental Housing ordinance; multiple returning citizens and residents urged passage to reduce barriers to housing for people with criminal records. Attorney noted amendments to shorten the duration of fair-housing provisions.
The Flint City Council opened a public hearing on the proposed “Fair Chance Access to Rental Housing” ordinance (agenda item 240426-6). The city attorney told council members that several amendments had been made to the draft ordinance before the hearing, including changes that shorten the number of years covered by the fair-housing provision.
Several public speakers who identified as formerly incarcerated or returning citizens urged council to adopt the ordinance to reduce barriers to rental housing. A speaker who identified as a formerly incarcerated resident said, “getting access to housing is one of the most important things,” and warned that denying housing to people who have returned from prison makes communities less safe. Another public speaker, John L. Allen Bey, described stable housing as the first step toward employment and civic stability: “The first step in being productive is having a place to stay,” he said.
Other residents connected the local proposal to the city’s national historical role in fair-housing advocacy and urged council members to act consistently with that legacy. Council did not vote on the ordinance at the hearing; the public comment period closed after several speakers and the council moved to the next public hearing on a separate item.
