JACKSON, Mich. — As a renter, would you be less likely to report a problem with your house or apartment to the city if you knew it might get the place red-tagged, and leave you out on the street?
There have been a couple instances of this happening here in mid-Michigan lately.
Last month, Luis Rivera and his family were forced to vacate their apartment after an inspection deemed it unsafe to live in.
"I don't wish this on my worst enemy. This is not a good situation for anybody."
They stayed in a hotel – that the city of Jackson paid for – while the issue was fixed.
The city decided they shouldn't have to pay for that.
"It’s our job as elected officials of the city to consider the health and safety of the people that we work on behalf of," said Jackson Mayor Derek Dobies.
A proposed ordinance would force landlords to find and pay for temporary housing if their properties are deemed unfit to live in.
"It provides a pretty clear incentive for landlords to do the right thing, to take care of their properties and thereby take care of their tenants," said Dobies.
The city will pay for housing for the first five days. After that, the landlord will reimburse the city. They can be kept on the hook for up to 90 days.
"That’s really about tenant's rights," said Dobies. "It can be very strenuous on families that are having to be relocated because of neglect of some other circumstance."
The mayor hopes to see other cities around Michigan do the same thing.
"We recognize that we do have a problem in some areas and from the conversations that I’ve had with residents, there's a lot of support for the ordinance, and I hope that there will be a lot of support from the council as well."
