- A professor at Michigan State University along with housing groups shared basic housing information with local landlords and renters
- About two dozen people showed up at The Fledge in Lansing to hear more information
- Video shows the professor explaining issues facing Lansing housing while one woman explains why she became an advocate for renters
It was January 2022 when Lisa Sadler said a leak in her kitchen that came from the bathroom above had gotten worse.
Sadler says she informed the landlord numerous times before the house became inundated with flooding and later red-tagged.
"I already had my kids already pack their bags, knowing that we would have to be placed in a hotel," Sadler said.
WATCH: LANSING HOUSING ORGANIZATIONS RAMP UP REHABILITATION EFFORTS
Sadler and her children, part of a family of six, stayed at a hotel for eight days before moving into a new unit that Sadler says wasn't suitable for her kids, including one who lives with a disability.
"I had nad water sitting in my light fixture. I had no grab-bars to support my son to get in and out of the downstairs bathroom," Sadler said.
"How is this possible," I asked.
"It's possible when you have people who don't have any integrity," Sadler said.
Since that experience, Sadler has made it a point to be an advocate for renters in the area. I met Sadler at the Fledge in Lansing on Wednesday.
It was the setting for a housing rights seminar hosted by numerous housing groups and the Housing Justice Clinic at Michigan State University's College of Law.
WATCH: HOUSING CONCERNS TOP JACKSON CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
The clinic's interim director Lauren Rogers, says the event offers basic information about housing rights for both landlords and tenants.
"Housing is a basic human right but unfortunately people don't know all of their rights or their duties," Rogers said. "Sometimes folks end up in an eviction situation so we want to make sure they know the steps of an eviction.
Rogers also spoke about what renters can do if their home is red or pink-tagged. Rogers says it's an issue that's prevalent in Lansing.
WATCH: RED TAG CONTROVERSY: LANSING WOMAN SAYS SHE'S LIVING IN TENT AFTER HOME WAS DEEMED UNSAFE
The city issues red tags on homes that are unlivable and ordered to be vacated. A pink tag means the landlord must make corrections to the unit before tenants can move back in.
According to the latest city data published December 13, 2024, there are 739 properties in the city that are 'red-tagged' while 289 properties are pink-tagged.
"Unfortunately many landlords are ignoring those," Rogers said.
Sadler says sessions like the one held Wednesday are crucial to remind renters and landlords that they have rights.
"I hope that people [know] that they have a right to live in healthy, habitable housing," Sadler said.
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