KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Kalamazoo City leaders are continuing their efforts to reform fair housing and the civil rights ordinance within city limits.
During a virtual meeting Monday night, Commissioners discussed the in-progress reform that was proposed earlier this year. Plans are now in place to hold public hearings on the subject. The proposal is still in draft mode at this time.
Over 20 Kalamazoo residents called in during the public comment section, a majority of which were in favor of the update.
“If we claim to be a city that wants to truly work toward equity, the one place to do this is in the area of housing,” one caller said. “Everyone deserves affordable housing. Change is scary, but we must be bold in our decision-making to ensure true equity for all Kalamazoo residents.”
To begin with, the proposal has now been broken up into two ordinances: a civil rights ordinance and a housing ordinance. This was done to make them easier to understand, according to City Attorney Clyde Robinson. They are now under Chapter 18 and Chapter 18A, which is structured similar to other proposals in places like Ann Arbor.
According to city documents, changes proposed would include new protections for people using housing vouchers or county identification cards, as well as those who have previously been incarcerated.
Chapter 18 currently prohibits discrimination based on actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, height, weight, marital status, physical or mental disability, family status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. This update would expand protections to include educational affiliation, source of income, status as a victim of domestic violence, personal identification method, prior arrests or conviction records.
Other changes in the proposal would limited rental housing application fees to actual costs. A civil rights board would be established to review contested cases of discrimination thought to violate the ordinance.
According to Director of Community Planning & Economic Development Rebekah Kik, several previous comments requested clarification of the proposal language.
“The questions we had were more about, can a landlord consider criminal conduct occurring on the premises of the landlord’s property, regardless of whether that conduct resulted in a conviction?” Kik said. “We worked really hard to be able to clarify exactly what we mean in terms of what we’re asking for in the conviction statements.”
Kik also emphasized the importance of making these changes.
“We are all part of this ecosystem,” Kik said. “Landlords and tenants still need assistance communicating, educating and building relationships with each other. That is a huge part of so many of the important resources and organizations that we have in the City of Kalamazoo. Understanding where we came from, and all of the voices we have heard, is so important as we think about how we heal our future and how we move forward with this ordinance.”
Chapter 18 also currently allows for the creation of an ad hoc Community Relations Advisory Board, as needed. The proposed change to Chapter 18 would replace this with a Civil Rights Board.
The purpose of the board would be to review appealed cases of alleged discrimination following an investigation conducted at the direction of the City Manager. The board would also provide recommendations and promote policies that help ensure equal opportunities are afforded to everyone.
According to Diversity Equity and Inclusion Director Dorla Bonner, complaints will either be reviewed by the City Manager or the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, depending on the case.
A series of public hearings will be held starting in early August to discuss these proposed changes while it’s in draft form. The hearings will be held via Zoom meetings and Facebook forums.
The dates can be viewed below:
- August 4 – Landlord Forum at 10:30 a.m.
- August 6 – Landlord Forum at 2:30 p.m.
- August 10 – Community Facebook Town hall at 7:00 p.m.
- August 13 – Housing Support & Partners Forum at 2:30 p.m.
Commission Hearings:
- August 17 – City Commission First Reading of Ordinance at 7:00 p.m.
- September 7 – City Commission Public Hearing at 7:00 p.m.
Mayor David Anderson reminded citizens that any feedback or questions can be fielded to city staff in the meantime. Citizens can provide feedback by contacting any of the Kalamazoo City Commissioners.
Copies of the updated documents are expected to be posted on the City website soon.
