GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — This weekend, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission is asking you to share your story.
Leaders from the Department of Civil Rights want to hear directly from Grand Rapids area residents about any discrimination they may have experienced in an effort to buy, sell, rent or finance a home.
On Sunday, April 28, an in-person public hearing is planned for the Center for Community Transformation, located at 1530 Madison Avenue SE, from 4 to 7 p.m.
“We know that housing impacts every aspect of life, including health, wealth, security and peace of mind,” said the Michigan Department of Civil Rights Executive Director John E. Johnson, Jr.
The Commission also wants to hear from individuals with disabilities who have been denied housing or reasonable accommodations.
The hearing will be held in Grand Rapids, but it's open to any Michigan resident, officials say.
“The Commission’s determination to hear directly from the people who have suffered due to housing discrimination will provide the framework for policy recommendations designed to eliminate it," said Johnson.
The Commission first began looking into housing discrimination after a public hearing in Detroit on Nov. 8 and a virtual hearing on Feb. 7. They held another hearing in Flint on March 16 before they set their sights on Grand Rapids.
The public hearing series will end on June 12 at the Civil Rights Summit, where policymakers and advocates will discuss solutions.
Reserve a spot to speak at the meeting here.
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