Housing Should Be
Affordable Again
A plan to lower housing costs, protect renters, and help Michigan families become homeowners.
For generations, affordable housing helped families build stable lives in Michigan.
Today, that foundation is slipping away.
Rent is rising faster than wages. Starter homes are disappearing from the market. And corporate investors are buying up neighborhoods that once belonged to working families.
Michigan families deserve better.
We need housing policies that lower costs, strengthen communities, and make homeownership possible again.
The Housing Crisis in Michigan
Across Michigan, housing has become harder to afford.
Young people who grew up here are struggling to buy their first home. Renters are facing sudden rent increases and limited protections. Families are spending more of their income just to stay housed.
At the same time, large corporate investors are purchasing homes in bulk — driving up prices and reducing opportunities for families to own property.
Housing should be a foundation for building a life.
It should not be treated as a speculative asset controlled by distant investors.
Michigan needs policies that restore balance to the housing market and put people ahead of speculation.
Housing affordability has deteriorated rapidly:
• Median home prices in Michigan have increased over 40% since 2020
• Rents have risen faster than wages in many cities
• Institutional investors now own thousands of homes nationwide
Stabilizing Rent and
Protecting Tenants
Millions of Michiganders rent their homes, and they deserve stability and fairness.
But too often renters face sudden rent increases, unsafe housing conditions, and limited protection against abusive practices.
Michigan needs modern tenant protections that create stability while supporting responsible property owners.
Key priorities
• Stronger tenant protections for renters
• Limits on extreme rent increases
• Clear notice requirements for rent increases
• Stronger protections against unjust eviction
• Greater transparency in leases and tenant rights
Housing stability helps families plan for the future and strengthens communities across the state.
Stopping Corporate Housing Speculation
Across the country, large investment firms and private equity companies are buying up single-family homes in bulk.
When investors treat housing like a financial asset, families lose the chance to buy homes and build wealth.
Michigan neighborhoods should belong to the people who live in them.
Policy actions
• Ban corporate ownership of large numbers of single-family homes
• Require transparency for bulk housing purchases
• Limit speculative housing acquisitions
• Prioritize owner-occupancy in housing policy
Homes should be places to live — not commodities traded by investors.
Michigan would prohibit large corporate investors from purchasing large numbers of single-family homes and prioritize homeownership for Michigan families.
THE POLICY
Helping the Next Generation
Buy Homes
For many young Michiganders, the biggest barrier to buying a home is the down payment.
Even families with stable jobs struggle to save enough while paying high rent.
Michigan can change that.
Key initiatives
• Down-payment assistance for first-time homebuyers
• Low-interest state-backed mortgage programs
• Tax credits for first-generation homebuyers
• Partnerships with local banks and credit unions
If you work hard and want to build your life here, homeownership should still be within reach.
Holding Negligent Landlords Accountable
Too many Michigan renters live in unsafe housing while negligent landlords continue collecting rent.
Michigan already has housing standards, but enforcement is often weak.
The state must protect tenants and ensure safe living conditions.
Key reforms
• Strengthen housing code enforcement
• Increase penalties for repeat violations
• Create a statewide landlord accountability system
• Require repairs or force property sales for chronic violations
Families should not have to choose between affordable housing and safe housing.
They deserve both.
Chronic code-violating landlords can be required to repair properties or sell them to responsible owners.
THE POLICY
Giving Tenants and Communities the
First Chance to Buy
When rental properties are sold, tenants and communities should have the first opportunity to purchase them.
Michigan can adopt a Right-to-Purchase law that gives tenants, local housing authorities, or community land trusts the first chance to buy a property before it is sold to outside investors.
This policy would:
• Help renters become homeowners
• Prevent speculative investor takeovers
• Keep housing locally owned
• Strengthen community stability
Housing should build wealth for Michigan families — not investment portfolios for distant corporations.
Tenants and community housing organizations should have the first opportunity to buy rental properties before they are sold to investors.
The Policy
The Michigan First Homes Initiative
A Comprehensive Plan to Make Housing Affordable Again
Michigan can restore housing affordability by focusing on practical reforms that protect renters, expand homeownership, and stop housing speculation.
These policies work together to stabilize housing costs and ensure homes remain places for families to live — not financial assets for corporate investors.
Protect Renters
Strong tenant protections that prevent abusive rent increases and give renters real stability.
Expand Homeownership
Down-payment assistance and fair mortgage programs that help first-time buyers achieve homeownership.
Stop Corporate Speculation
Stop large investment firms from buying up single-family homes and driving up housing costs.
Safe and Fair Housing
Enforce housing safety standards so every Michigan family has a safe place to live.
Housing is more than a market — it is the foundation of stable families and strong communities.
Michigan can make homeownership possible again.
Implementation
Michigan will implement this plan in phases, but the first phase should be ambitious.
The goal of the initial omnibus is to deliver visible improvements early, not years from now. That means combining tenant protections, housing quality enforcement, first-time homebuyer support, anti-speculation rules, and local purchase rights into one coordinated first move.
The first phase focuses on the fastest wins: stabilizing rents, protecting tenants from abuse, helping first-time buyers compete, and preventing outside investors from driving up costs in working neighborhoods.
Later phases expand affordable homeownership pathways, strengthen local acquisition tools, grow community-based housing models, and build a more durable long-term housing system.
The purpose is simple: lower housing pressure now, restore stability, and make homeownership possible again.
Michigan will move fast to protect renters, help first-time buyers, and stop speculative investors from pricing families out.
The Policy
Phase 1 — Stabilize Housing Costs and Protect Families
Years 1–2
Michigan begins with the strongest near-term actions:
enact stronger tenant protections and notice standards
limit extreme rent increases and abusive lease practices
strengthen housing code enforcement and landlord accountability
create first-right-to-purchase protections for tenants, housing authorities, and community land trusts
launch down-payment assistance for first-time and first-generation homebuyers
establish low-interest state-backed mortgage tools
restrict bulk investor purchases of single-family homes in targeted markets
create a coordinated statewide housing implementation structure
What people feel first:
more stability for renters
fewer sudden rent shocks
stronger protection from negligent landlords
a better chance for local families to buy homes before outside investors do
real help for first-time buyers struggling with down payments
Phase 2 — Expand Ownership and Community Control
Years 2–4
Once first-wave protections are in place, Michigan expands access and capacity:
grow first-time buyer assistance programs statewide
expand community land trusts and nonprofit housing acquisition tools
strengthen partnerships with local banks and credit unions
support rehabilitation of neglected housing stock for owner-occupancy
expand neighborhood stabilization tools in areas hit by speculation or disinvestment
align housing programs with local infrastructure and economic development planning
What this adds:
more homes staying in local hands
stronger pathways from renting to ownership
better reuse of existing housing stock
stronger neighborhoods and less speculative turnover
Phase 3 — Build Long-Term Housing Security
Years 4+
Michigan then turns early reforms into a durable long-term framework:
maintain strong tenant and code-enforcement standards
expand long-term homeownership supports for working families
strengthen local and community ownership models
keep anti-speculation protections updated as markets change
publish regular public results on rent stability, homeownership access, code enforcement, and investor activity
Long-term result:
Michigan builds a housing system that is more affordable, more stable, and more oriented toward families and communities than distant speculation.
Legislative Package
Michigan will implement this plan through a coordinated housing legislative package focused on affordability, tenant protection, first-time homeownership, anti-speculation rules, housing quality, and community stability.
Key bills would address:
stronger tenant protections and notice requirements
limits on extreme rent increases
landlord accountability and housing code enforcement
first-right-to-purchase protections for tenants and communities
first-time and first-generation homebuyer support
down-payment assistance and state-backed mortgage tools
restrictions on bulk investor acquisition of single-family homes
community land trusts, local ownership, and nonprofit acquisition support
This package is designed to lower costs, protect renters, expand homeownership, and keep more Michigan housing in the hands of Michigan families and communities.
How the Michigan First Homes Initiative Fits into the Michigan Reform Plan
The Michigan First Homes Initiative is part of the broader Michigan Reform Plan to lower household costs, strengthen communities, and rebuild economic security for working families.
Housing costs shape nearly every other part of life. When rent rises too fast or homeownership moves out of reach, families have less room for healthcare, education, child care, transportation, and savings.
By lowering housing pressure, protecting tenants, and helping first-time buyers compete, this plan supports the wider goals of the Michigan Reform Plan: affordability, stability, and a stronger middle class.
In the Michigan Reform Plan, housing is not separate from economic reform. It is one of its foundations.
Lower housing costs, protect renters, help first-time buyers, and keep Michigan homes in Michigan hands.
The Policy
Policy Details
For readers interested in the full legislative framework, the proposed statutory language for this policy is available below.
These documents outline how the proposal could be implemented in Michigan law and provide a more detailed view of the policy design.
For readers interested in the full legislative framework, the proposed statutory language for this policy is available below.
These documents outline how the proposal could be implemented in Michigan law and provide a more detailed view of the policy design.
Let’s Make Housing Affordable Again
Michigan families deserve stable homes, fair rents, and a real chance to build wealth through homeownership.
By protecting renters, expanding homeownership, and ending housing speculation, Michigan can restore housing as a foundation for strong families and thriving communities.
If you believe housing should work for the people who live here — not corporate investors — join this campaign