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The University of Michigan will never provide on-campus housing for the entire student body. Being a tenant can be an expensive, uncomfortable and sometimes even dangerous business arrangement. Students often pay hundreds of dollars a month for unclean, unsafe, rundown houses without a clue to how they can upgrade their situation, save themselves money, and find a respectable place to live. Student often do not know their basic rights as renters, and do not have a place to go to answer simple questions. Also, while the university provides many good services for students as renters, there is no entity actively advocating for renter’s rights.
PIRGIM’s Renter’s Rights campaign will work to expose the rental problem in Ann Arbor and across the state. In coalition with community groups and student governments, student will organizing to strengthen tenant codes in student heavy communities – student leaders and campus organizing staff will meet with city councilors to recommend ways to protect renters and their pocketbook. Students will expand the renter’s hotline to other campuses, and work to log the worst cases of rental scams, to showcase the severity of the problem and better advocate for stronger renter’s protections. |