Rent Control in Ypsi: presentation to City Council

DAY will give a presentation to the public and City Council in support of a Tenant Protections petition that includes a provision for rent control, that was circulated by residents earlier this year. Meeting will be online on zoom and recorded into public record.

DAY asks residents in support of placing the petition on the ballot to speak up at the meeting during Audience Participation which begins at 7pm. Alternatively, residents are encouraged to conact their council representatives. More information about the petition may be found after council's contact info.

Zoom meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89054175045
City of Ypsilanti links:
https://cityofypsilanti.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_08182020-1422
https://cityofypsilanti.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1111

All City Council reps emails:

Mayor (interim until November)
Lois Allen-Richardson - Ward 1
(734) 482-2017
loiserich@hotmail.com

Mayor Pro-Tem (interim until November)
Nicole Brown - Ward 1
(313) 888-4044
nbforward1@gmail.com
nbrown@cityofypsilanti.com

Jennifer Symanns - Ward 2 (ran uncontested in primary and general)
(734) 506-8411
jsymanns@gmail.com
jsymanns@cityofypsilanti.com

Steve Wilcoxen - Ward 2 (appointed by city council)
(734) 334-5407
swilcoxen@cityofypsilanti.com

Annie Somerville - Ward 3 (appointed by city council)
(734) 309-1208
asomerville@cityofypsilanti.com

Anthony Morgan - Ward 3
(734) 334-3407
asmorgan77@gmail.com
amorgan@cityofypsilanti.com

In the last few months, members of Defend Affordable Ypsi have created and circulated an initiative petition, which received over 500 signatures in ten days, intended to put a question on the November ballot for Ypsilanti residents: whether city residents would like to add a “Tenant Protection” ordinance to the City Charter.

Here is the language of the petition:
“An initiation of a “Tenant Protection” Section under Article XI of the City Charter to limit the amount by which rental property owners may increase yearly rent to the last annual published CPI percentage, not to exceed 3%; to establish a Rent Control Commission; to bar rental property owners from refusing to renew a tenant’s lease without “Just Cause” pursuant to Michigan Act 18 of 1933; to require rental property owners to provide tenants first opportunity to purchase leased rental property prior to a market sale; to provide for an online registry of rental units; and to provide penalties for violations of this Article.”

Since the creation and circulation of this petition, City Attorney Barr has instructed the City Clerk’s office not to accept our petition, as enacting an ordinance to “limit the amount by which rental property owners may increase yearly rent” (a.k.a. rent control) is illegal in the State of Michigan (MCL 123.411 (2)).

Given that rent control is not yet legal in the state of Michigan, we understand that the exact language of our original petition might need to change to be put on the ballot. This question might instead propose that only upon the lifting of the rent control ban statewide, a rent control measure in Ypsilanti will automatically go into effect if this initiative is passed. Thus, the rent control portion of the ballot initiative would become a “seed law” i.e. an inactive law that becomes active the moment the rent control ban is repealed at the state level.

This adjusted ballot question could look like this:
“An initiation of a “Tenant Protection” Section under Article XI of the City Charter to establish a Tenant Protection Commission; to bar rental property owners from refusing to renew a tenant’s lease without “Just Cause” pursuant to Michigan Act 18 of 1933; to require rental property owners to provide tenants first opportunity to purchase leased rental property prior to a market sale; to provide for an online registry of rental units; only upon the repeal of MCL 123.411 (2), to limit the amount by which rental property owners may increase yearly rent to the last annual published CPI percentage, not to exceed 3%; and to provide penalties for violations of this Article.”