“I love this ordinance! I’m a big fan!” said Sara Jacobs, Director of the Kalamazoo Continuum of Care (COC), at the Housing Equity Ordinance Workshop we gave in March to explain Kalamazoo’s new ordinance for officials from municipalities surrounding the City.

Sara Jacobs and Heather Morgan presented “RentAble”, the COC’s new initiative to support both tenants previously likely to be turned away, and landlords now opening their doors to more applicants because of the Housing Equity Ordinance.

The attendance was excellent! Officials came (virtually) from Kalamazoo Township, the City of Portage, Comstock, Oshtemo, and Texas Township, plus Kalamazoo County’s new Housing Director. We’re delighted with the turnout, because we need officials from all these municipalities to understand why Housing Equity Ordinances are needed in their parts of our community too.

>> You can help! If you live in Kalamazoo Township, the City of Portage, Comstock, Oshtemo or Texas Township, please fill out this form so we can let you know when your thanks or encouragement to your elected officials is needed. Community support is very important!

City of Kalamazoo’s Housing Equity Ordinance (adopted Sept. 2020)
Vice Mayor Patrese Griffin
Rebekah Kik, Director of Community Planning & Economic Development
Dorla Bonner, Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Impact of Grand Rapids’ Housing Equity Ordinance (updated Nov. 2019)
Duy Vu, Marketing Director of The Associated Management Company
Pam Lovell – President of AMP Residential and Immediate Past President for Property Managers Association of West Michigan

New “RentAble” program supporting tenants and landlords
Sara Jacobs, Director of Continuum of Care (COC) at United Way of the Battle Creek & Kalamazoo Region
Heather Morgan, RentAble Program Associate

– ISAAC & TRHT Housing Task Force co-chairs Tobi Hanna-Davies & Stephanie Hoffman, Executive Director of Open Doors Kalamazoo