Mid-Michigan Tenant Resource Center

📢MMTRC in the news 📰 :

"The coalition is threatening to sue Detroit’s 36th District Court unless it stops landlords from obtaining eviction judgments and collecting rent on properties that have not passed city safety inspections.

In a June 11 demand letter to Chief Judge William C. McConico, attorneys for the Detroit Tenants Union and four unnamed tenants argue that the court is allowing landlords to pursue nonpayment eviction cases even when they lack a valid Certificate of Compliance, a city-issued document showing a rental property has passed inspection.

The stakes are enormous in a city where only about 14% of rental properties have valid certificates, according to the letter. If the attorneys’ argument is correct, a vast majority of Detroit rental properties are owned by landlords with no legal right to collect rent.

By its plain language, Detroit City Code §8-15-82(h) makes it unlawful for an owner or agent to collect rent from a tenant “during or for any time in which there is not a valid Certificate of Compliance for the rental property.”

The letter asks McConico to issue an administrative order making clear that landlords cannot receive judgments for rent or possession in nonpayment cases for any period when a property lacked a valid certificate. If the court does not act, the attorneys say they are prepared to sue in Wayne County Circuit Court to force the 36th District Court to enforce the ordinance, which they argue bars landlords without valid Certificates of Compliance from collecting rent or obtaining nonpayment eviction judgments.

“Having landlords come into court and request the might of the state to evict people and enforce these contracts, when they themselves are not upholding them, is absurd,” Donovan McCarty, director of the Housing Justice Clinic at Michigan State University College of Law and one of the attorneys behind the demand letter, tells Metro Times. “It’s happened for years.”

The demand letter is signed by Benjamin P. Christensen of Christensen Counsel PLLC, who also serves as policy and education director for the Tenant Resource Center of Mid-Michigan, and McCarty of the Michigan State University Housing Justice Clinic. The request is also backed by a wide-ranging coalition of legal aid and tenant advocates, including leaders or attorneys from the United Community Housing Coalition, Michigan Legal Services, Lakeshore Legal Aid, Sugar Law Center, Detroit Justice Center, the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights, and the Tenant Resource Center of Mid-Michigan."

Most Detroit landlords have no legal right to collect rent, housing attorneys say - Detroit Metro Times The city says it has stepped up enforcement while streamlining the process for landlords to get Certificates of Compliance. Officials say they have added residential inspectors, are sending reminders before certificates expire, and are referring chronic violators to the Law Department.

: Renter Households that Include a Person with a Disability Experience Higher Rates of Housing Quality Issues Compared to Non-Disability Renter Households

This event is open for the community to attend. Feel free to stop by Colonial Woods Senior Apartments to, June 10 at 12:30PM for conversation. We will be joined by our friends from LuvCovers and The Bread House - Bethlehem Temple Church! Bring your questions, knowledge, and need to express knowing your rights and using your voice. Let's join together to learn the best ways to advocate for ourselves at the doctor! *
*
*
*
*
*
*
Connect with The Bread House International Ministries Food Distribution Center via Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/share/g/14cQNrcZGHM/

Personal Needs boxes available through the end of June!

No need to register - just come up to the second floor of Lansing First Presbyterian 9a-2p Monday-Thursday.

See flyer for more details or call 517-999-2894 with questions!

RSVP: Candidate Townhall on Affordability The Lansing NAACP, SEIU 517M,  Mid-Michigan Tenant Resource Center, and Local Voices, Local Choices MI are hosting a candidate forum for Senate District 28 (portions of Shiawassee, Ingham, and Clinton counties) and House District 74 (Delhi Township, south Lansing) in Michigan's state legislatur...

Another event you can find us at as the summer roles in:

REO Juneteenth Celebration

We will be tabling with resources and information about housing! We’ll be there all day!

Make sure come say hi and celebrate with us!

Don’t forget to register!

The TRC will be participating on a housing panel, we hope to see you there! If you come, please be sure to stop and say hi! 👋

📣 The agenda for MCEDSV’s Annual Conference is officially LIVE, and registration is now open!

Join advocates, service providers, and community leaders from across Michigan for this year’s premier gathering focused on supporting survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Together, we’ll learn, connect, and continue building strong communities.

✨ Check out the full agenda and register today!

Interested in supporting the conference through sponsorship, tabling, or exhibitor opportunities? Email [email protected] to learn more.

We can’t wait to connect with you all!

Register here: https://mcedsv.coalitionmanager.org/eventmanager/trainingevent/details/201

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 24, 2026 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM and join the TRC at the Ingham County Housing Resource Fair + Expungement Clinic!

TRC will have a table with resources AND our partner attorney and head of Policy and Education, Ben Christensen, will be present assisting with the expungement clinic and leading a 30 minute class on Lead tenant protections!

You can swing by our table to set up appointments with us to talk about your housing.

This is FREE and no appointment is necessary for expungement clinic!

See you on June 24th at Union Missionary Baptist Church, located at 500 S Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd

Looking for a training to better understand some of the causes of homelessness? Check out this training, happening today from 1:00pm - 2:30pm

Training Tuesday Reminders!

How Financial Abuse Leads To and Exacerbates Homelessness
Monday, June 15 th

Time: 1:00 – 2:30

Cost: $40 Non-Members/ $20 Member
CEU’s $20.00/1.5 Credits

Register Here: https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E365251&id=81

The leading cause of homelessness for women and children is domestic violence. One of the tactics that perpetrators of violence use to destabilize victims is financial abuse which both leads to homelessness and makes recovering from homelessness worse. Perpetrators use this tactic because they often believe that their victim has no place to go- they will be forced to go back to the abusive relationship.

This webinar is a must attend for anyone who works in the homeless service delivery system.