Local Housing Activists Launch “Housing Horror Stories Survey”
KALAMAZOO, MI – This October, housing activists in Kalamazoo are launching the ‘Housing Horror Stories’ survey to understand the housing issues working class people in the county are facing.
The survey, which can be completed online, aims to gather data from non-property owners across Kalamazoo County. Areas of particular interest include rent increases, unsafe housing and illegal actions from landlord and property managers.
The campaign is a collaborative effort from local housing groups, including the Southwest Michigan Democratic Socialists of America (SWMI DSA). Speaking about the campaign a SWMI DSA spokesperson said: “This Halloween we felt it was appropriate to investigate the scariest monster in our community, our housing crisis. Kalamazoo’s housing situation grows worse everyday and we hope to understand this problem directly from the people most affected.”
“Many renters don’t feel represented by the City and County Commission, and that is because most, if not all of them, are property owners. They don’t feel the squeeze felt by renters across Kalamazoo. In fact some are landlords themselves and have every motivation to keep this horrifying status quo that exploits renters, jacks up rents and throws families on to the streets when they can no longer pay. We hope that the survey results will offer the commission a new, unfiltered, perspective directly from their constituents.”
Organizers hope to engage people in all types of housing situations. “We feel it is important to highlight that people from across all incomes are suffering from the housing crisis, not just those visible out on the streets. Many people are stuck in rental situations they can’t get out of, unable to buy their own home. ”
Quoting from a recent New York Times article about Kalamazoo’s housing crisis, “We agree with the New York Times that “The rent is too damn high in Kalamazoo”., if the NYT can see that, then I hope our local leaders do too”.
The Housing Horror Stories survey will run throughout the month of October. Organizers say they will issue a report with the results by the end of the year and use the data to inform their future campaigns.
“We want to hear directly from the people about these issues and work with them directly to get the solutions people in Kalamazoo desperately need.”
Southwest Michigan DSA 