Why It's Important to Protect Sources of Income in Michigan 
Federal rental assistance programs like the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program are critical to ensuring that all individuals and families have a safe place to live. HCVs make better housing more affordable by paying a portion of rent, but many landlords will not rent to tenants with HCVs and other non-wage sources of income. In fact, in a 2018 survey 44% of Michigan homeless service providers said landlords typically will not rent to people with vouchers. Contrary to the purpose of the HCV program, this limits housing options. 
Who most often relies on vouchers?
21% Seniors aging in place (source footnote: 1)
26% People with disabilities living independently (1)
57% Families with children avoiding homelessness (1)
Vouchers have shown to reduce the number of moves over a five-year period by more than one-third for families with low incomes.  (source footnote: 2)
HCVs are critical to fill in the gap between a household's income and monthly rent owed. In Michigan, the average renter wage in 2023 was $19.11 per hour while the average housing wage was $21.65. (source footnote: 3)
Why protect sources of income?
Only 13 municipalities in Michigan have established source of income protections that prohibit discrimination against renters based on the source(s) of their income. In areas without these protections where some landlords refuse to accept housing vouchers, voucher holders find it difficult to successfully find and lease housing and are oftentimes forced to return vouchers back to public housing authorities because they cannot find a landlord to accept them within the program’s allotted time. 
This hurts HCV households in search of better housing choices. It also hurts communities when their residents don’t have affordable housing opportunities.
Only 1 out of 4 HCV households are able to find a landlord to accept their voucher. (source footnote: 5)
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How Housing Choice Vouchers work
The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program makes up most of the difference between the total rent cost of a rental unit and the portion of rent a tenant pays (set at 30 percent of their adjusted income). The difference is paid directly to the landlord. Vouchers provided can help low-income families afford rent even when they experience income disruptions.
66,106 HCVs help households in every Michigan county afford a safe place to live. (source footnote: 4)
An owner who rents to a tenant with a voucher receives one part of each month’s rent directly from the tenant, and the remainder from a HUD-contracted Public Housing Agency (PHA) in their area. The amount of the subsidy available to voucher holders is based on the cost of moderately priced rental housing in the community, as determined by HUD.
Michigan landlords earn over $816M annually from HCV households. (4)
Many eligible families are unable to utilize the HCV once they are "pulled from the list.” PHAs often issue 4 vouchers for every 1 opening, as it is difficult for households to find a landlord willing to participate and a unit that meets the rent reasonableness criteria in an area of their choice.
A chance to make a change
In 2023 bills that will prohibit discrimination against voucher holders were introduced in the Michigan Senate and House. In October 2023 the three Senate bills passed. Now, the two House bills wait for a hearing in committee. Michigan is the closest it has ever been to passing this legislation!
House Bills 4062 & 4063 Senate Bills 205, 206 & 207 
If you have experienced being denied housing or being turned away because of your source of income contact your representative to share your story. Find your elected House representatives at house.mi.gov/AllRepresentatives. 
Join in the effort to protect Michiganders who use Housing Choice Vouchers.
Sources Footnotes Below:
1. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, MI Federal Assistant Fact Sheet, January 19, 2022: https://www.cbpp.org/research/housing/federal-rental-assistance-fact-sheets#MI 
2. "Housing Affordability and Family Well-being: Results from the Housing Voucher Evaluation," Housing Policy Debate, 2008: https://www.cbpp.org/housing-choice-vouchers-sharply-reduced-crowded-housing-homelessness-and-frequent-moves-study-0 
3. National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2023 Out of Reach Annual Report: https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/oor/Michigan_2023_OOR.pdf
4. U.S. Dept of Housing & Urban Development, Subsidized Households, 2023 State Data: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/assthsg.html
5. "Section 8 Made Simple," Technical Assistance Collaborative, 2016: https://www.tacinc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/S8MS_Full_Book.pdf
rev. 4/2024