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Commissioners flag historic deed restrictions and seek research into covenants
Summary
Commissioners raised concerns about lingering racially restrictive covenants and deed restrictions within Ypsilanti city limits and proposed researching prevalence and removal steps, with suggestions to consult local experts and the planning/building department.
At the April 27 meeting of the Ypsilanti Human Relations Commission, several commissioners urged the body to research historic deed restrictions—commonly linked to redlining—and consider steps to identify and remove any racially restrictive covenants still on the books.
One commissioner (speaker 5) said a statewide report indicated such covenants still exist in the city and asked whether the commission has ever reviewed them; others suggested contacting local researcher Yodit Messvin Johnson—named in the meeting—and querying the building department and city planner for records.
Commissioners discussed a possible volunteer review of deeds and compiling recommendations that could be forwarded to the city council if evidence of enforceable restrictions remains. The clerk suggested staff could provide contact information for building and planning staff to help start the effort.
Commissioners agreed this is a suitable topic for a future meeting or working session and encouraged members to collect information and reach out to local experts to determine next steps.
