Michigan

NLIHC has estimated a need for no less than $100 billion in emergency rental assistance and broke down the need and cost for each state (download Excel spreadsheet). 

In response to COVID-19 and its economic fallout, many cities and states are creating or expanding rental assistance programs to support individuals and families impacted by the pandemic, and NLIHC is tracking in-depth information on these programs.  

You can use the interactive map and searchable database to find state and local emergency rental assistance programs near you. You can also see the latest news on rental assistance programs through the state-by-state news tracker. Note that this is not a comprehensive list of all rental assistance programs as we continue to update frequently. If you are aware of a program not included in our database, please contact [email protected]. 

COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs
 

Across the country, homeless service providers are struggling to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to follow public health guidelines and help ensure people’s safety, some shelters are being forced to reduce services, restrict admittance, or close entirely. The loss of these critical resources puts people experiencing homelessness at even higher risk of illness. Check NLIHC's cumulative list of shelter closings.

Below is a list of shelters that have had to majorly alter services or completely close:

No information at this time.

The Detroit City Council on May 10 passed a “Right to Counsel” ordinance that provides free legal representation for low-income Detroiters facing eviction. The program will be initially funded with $6 million in Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds provided through the American Rescue Plan Act, from a total of $18 million over three years.

Michigan Radio reports that the Detroit City Council is considering a proposed “Right to Counsel” ordinance that would pay for legal assistance for low-income Detroit residents facing eviction, tax foreclosure, and land contract issues. Attorney Tonya Meyers Phillips, a project leader of the Detroit Right to Counsel Coalition, says that while the rate of evictions decreased somewhat with emergency rental assistance, evictions are starting to rise again.

According to MLive, about $21.3 million in emergency rental assistance (ERA) is available in Kent County. Officials are urging residents to apply soon as the program might end in May. The program has paid out about $38 million in ERA since it began last year. Another $1 million has been approved but not yet paid out.

Housing advocates across Michigan are concerned about a rise in evictions when federal rent relief is expended. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority, which is administering the state’s emergency rental assistance program, said it tentatively expects to stop accepting new applications in June. The same renters who struggled with housing stability before and during the pandemic will continue to struggle because of the severe shortage of affordable housing, NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel told the Detroit Free Press.

Updated on May 23, 2022

The Detroit Free Press reports Michigan has received more than 173,000 applications for its COVID Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA) Program since launching in March 2021. Wayne County accounts for about one-third of those applications. According to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority’s dashboard, 46% of applications for rent and utility assistance were approved as of January 7.

Updated on January 31, 2022

The Detroit Eviction Assistance and Prevention Program has awarded $60 million in emergency rental and utility assistance, with another $16 million awaiting final approval. An additional $62 million in funding is available, and Detroit renters can apply for free legal aid at: www.detroitevictionhelp.org

Updated on November 15, 2021

As winter approaches, Michigan housing advocates and officials are concerned that a reported decrease in homelessness is misleading or temporary due to short-term COVID-19 relief. Eric Hufnagel, executive director of the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness, points to pandemic-related protections and resources as contributing to the reported drop in homelessness rates statewide. Advocates are highlighting the need to increase access to temporary housing and permanent affordable housing.

Updated on November 8, 2021

Michigan is racing to meet the September 30 deadline to spend 65% of its ERA spending budget. Officials say they will meet the deadline, as they have spent about $225 million of the $622 million as of September 19. Bridge Michigan reports that over 34,000 families have been approved to receive the federal funds thus far. 

Updated on October 5, 2021

Washtenaw County officials are rushing to distribute approximately $14 million in emergency rental assistance (ERA). The county has distributed $4 million in ERA funds, just over 22% of the county’s first ERA allocation. According to data from the National Equity Atlas, roughly 6,000 households across the county are behind on rent.

Update on September 21, 2021

University of Michigan professor Robert Goodspeed, co-author of a study on “Reducing Michigan Evictions: The Pandemic and Beyond,” says the state’s COVID emergency rental assistance program and access to attorneys during eviction court cases are critical to preventing a tsunami of evictions when the federal eviction moratorium expires at the end of July.
Updated on July 15, 2021

The Detroit Free Press reports that tenant advocates, concerned that the federal eviction moratorium will not be extended past June 30, are urging struggling renters to apply for the federally funded emergency rental assistance program. "It's certainly not going to be the eviction tsunami that we feared in the summer of 2020. There is a lot that has been done since that time to prevent a massive wave of evictions," says NLIHC’s Diane Yentel. "The challenge is getting that money to the lowest income and the most marginalized people who need it most before the moratorium expires. So, it’s a race against the clock at this point," she added. Evictions in Michigan are increasing again, moving toward pre-pandemic levels.

June 22, 2021

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority reports it has spent $42 million of the $282 million in federal rental assistance the legislature appropriated in March, with the other $340 million to be appropriated at a later date. The agency has approved 6,000 of the 32,000 applications it has received for the COVID Emergency Rental Assistance program. 
June 14, 2021

Macomb Daily reports on the extension of the CDC eviction moratorium and provides a list of federal, state, and local resources for renters in need of housing assistance. According to the Michigan State Court Administrative Office, there were nearly 24,000 eviction filings and 3,286 writs of eviction issued in Michigan between January 1, 2021, and April 5, 2021.

April 17, 2021

The Michigan State Housing Development Authority launched the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program (CERA) on March 15. CERA is a $282 million program, with an additional $340 million appropriated by the state legislature.

March 31, 2021

The Michigan Legislature continues to hold back a significant portion of the over $620 million in federal emergency rental assistance funds. Lawmakers are voting to appropriate only about a third of the total amount of federal funds. These delays are putting at risk organizations’ abilities to spend the funding before the September 30 deadline to obligate 65% of the funds before the federal government recaptures the remaining amount. 

March 08, 2021

Mecosta County nonprofits have been stepping up to provide services for individuals who are homeless amid the ongoing pandemic and winter weather. The Mecosta/Osceola Mid-Michigan Community Action helps individuals and families who are homeless find stable housing and provide case management services for individuals experiencing homelessness, those that owe back rent, and people at risk for eviction.

February 22, 2021

The Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness is calling on the state legislature to disburse the $600 million in rental and utility assistance from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, stating: “Each day that passes without these funds being appropriated by our state Legislature not only puts renters and landlords at risk of evictions but also threatens Michigan’s ability to spend out the federally allocated dollars before they are lost to recapture.”

February 08, 2021

The Lansing State Journal reports that over 1,000 households in Greater Lansing received assistance through an eviction diversion program funded through the CARES Act and other state and local funds. Despite the diversion and other assistance programs, evictions are still taking place, with over 770 eviction cases filed in the district court that serves Lansing between early October and January 25. That number could be higher, as court officials said the court is behind on processing.

February 01, 2021

Community enCompass, a Muskegon social and community services organization, is preparing to broaden its eviction diversion and homelessness prevention efforts. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority told the organization to start “ramping up” for an estimated $11 million in housing assistance funds from the $25 billion emergency rental assistance (ERA) program Congress established in December.

The Kalamazoo Coalition for the Homeless is providing meals, propane tanks, heaters, tents, sleeping bags, and portable shelters to individuals experiencing homelessness in the area. The volunteer effort is focused on providing heat, shelter, and meals during January, February, and March.

January 25, 2021

Ingham County, home to Lansing, is facing an eviction crisis as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic fallout. The county has spent $2 million in federal coronavirus relief funding for emergency rental assistance.

MLive reports that the number of families in Kent County homeless shelters has doubled since the onset of the pandemic. While 82% of residents in the county are white, approximately 75% of the families needing shelter are people of color, with Black residents accounting for the majority of that number.

The Detroit Free Press discusses the various federal benefits that are set to expire this month, including the federal eviction moratorium and unemployment assistance. According to Michigan’s 211 dashboard, rental assistance and food pantries are among the top pandemic-related needs.

More than 50 organizations joined the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness in urging state leaders to add $20 million to the state’s Eviction Diversion Program.

January 15, 2021

The Holland Sentinel discusses how the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the health and safety issues facing people experiencing homelessness.

November 30, 2020

Mlive.com reports that after seven months without a COVID-19 case, the Delonis Center shelter in downtown Ann Arbor is bracing for the upcoming winter as the pandemic rages on. The shelter is also preparing for an influx of residents who will need shelter after being forced from an Ann Arbor hotel. 

Mlive.com reports dozens of people experiencing homelessness temporarily residing at the Red Roof Inn will be removed from the hotel and transferred to new shelter spaces. Activists with Washtenaw Camp Outreach staged a protest outside the hotel on October 28, questioning the county’s homelessness response during the pandemic. 

Michigan homeless shelters are preparing for their first full winter during the pandemic. Washtenaw County will open its warming centers early this year to ensure unhoused residents can maintain physical distancing. Additionally, the county will use its recreation center for overnight shelter overflow as needed. 

November 10, 2020

Catherine LaPorte, director of Salvation Army Kent County’s housing services, has called the influx of people facing eviction in the county a “deluge,” an eviction crisis that she and others have predicted for months.

September 22, 2020

The Detroit Free Press reports that the Michigan State Court Administrative Office issued guidance to local courts in response to the CDC’s national eviction moratorium. Michigan Legal Help has released resources for tenants about the CDC eviction moratorium. 

The Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness aims to house 20 families experiencing homelessness in the next 100 days. “We feel like the pandemic needs to create urgency around housing because we know that housing is a form of healthcare that people need,” says Ashley Halladay-Schmandt, director of the Coalition. 

September 15, 2020

A grassroots group of activists held a rally to prevent the eviction of an Ann Arbor retiree with a disability.  

Detroit Action and Michigan United, two local community organizations that focus on racial and economic injustices, rallied in downtown Detroit on September 1 to advocate for housing protections and resources and the supplemental $600 unemployment benefit.  

September 10, 2020.

Approximately 75 community members gathered at the 14B District Court in Ypsilanti Township on August 19 to protest 49 eviction hearings that were taking place that afternoon. Governor Gretchen Whitmer allowed Michigan’s eviction moratorium to expire July 15.

September 2, 2020.

As evictions resumed at the 36th District Court in Detroit on August 17, approximately 50 people gathered outside the courthouse to demand that city leaders extend the eviction moratorium. The 36th District Court estimates a backlog of about 900 cases and expects to hold hearings for 200 to 300 cases that were not already resolved.

August 25, 2020.

Eviction diversion assistance, funded through the CARES Act, is now available in Berrien County. Out of the $50 million being distributed statewide for rent assistance through Michigan’s COVID-19 Eviction Diversion and Rental Assistance Program, Berrien County received nearly $500,000.

Detroit News reports that the eviction process has resumed in Michigan - except in Detroit, which extended its eviction moratorium until August 17. An estimated 457,000, or 43%, of Michigan renter households are at risk of losing their homes, and Black renters are disproportionately represented among renters who report “no or slight confidence” that they can pay next month’s rent.

August 11, 2020.

While Governor Gretchen Whitmer extended Michigan’s eviction moratorium several times, she allowed it to expire on July 16, replacing it with an eviction diversion program. Housing advocates are concerned because the funding for the program - $50 million in federal coronavirus relief funds - will not be available until early August - two weeks after courts are permitted to resume eviction proceedings. Learn more about Michigan’s Eviction Diversion Program here.

With facilities closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, designated cooling centers in Macomb County are no longer available. A list of facilities that were used last year was removed from the county’s website on July 14. Cooling centers are locations where people experiencing homelessness and those without access to air conditioning can cool off during the hottest times of the day.

July 20, 2020.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued Executive Order 2020-134 on June 26, which extends Michigan’s eviction moratorium until July 15 and funds the Eviction Diversion Program. Under the executive order, $50 million of rental assistance will be made in lump-sum payments to landlords who allow tenants to remain in their homes and forgive late fees and up to 10% of the amount due. Tenants whose back rent is not completely covered by the Eviction Diversion Program will enter into manageable payment plans.

June 29, 2020.

Eric Hufnagel, executive director of Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness, an NLIHC state partner, discussed the urgent need for Congress to pass the HEROES Act in a Michigan Advance article. The article also referenced House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) comments on NLIHC’s national call and NLIHC’s policy priorities.

June 22, 2020.

Michigan courts are bracing for as many as 75,000 landlord/tenant filings since the state’s eviction moratorium expired on June 11.

A piece in the Detroit Free Press examines life inside the city’s homeless coronavirus isolation centers.

June 12, 2020.

Michigan will receive $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide housing to non-elderly people with disabilities. Nine organizations in Michigan will receive allocations to provide essential housing options for people living with disabilities.

Eric Hufnagel, executive director of the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness, an NLIHC state partner, told the Detroit Free Press that the shelter system across Michigan was at or near capacity before the pandemic. The influx of people needing shelter due to the coronavirus pandemic is forcing providers to be innovative in accommodating more people while also maintaining social distancing guidelines.

SOS Community Services, an organization focused on ending family homelessness in Washtenaw County, is providing pre-bagged groceries and has installed portable toilets outside of its two locations in Ypsilanti. The organization continues to help families experiencing homelessness obtain housing amid the coronavirus pandemic.  

Governor Gretchen Whitmer asked Vice President Mike Pence to discourage protests due to concerns of the coronavirus spreading to rural parts of Michigan.

More people experiencing homelessness have been moved from a Kalamazoo shelter into hotel rooms. Approximately 150 people are occupying 105 rooms at the hotel. While the hotel program is only for people not showing any symptoms of the coronavirus, Kalamazoo County has created a separate quarantine location for people who have tested positive for the coronavirus or are symptomatic.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced on May 1 that Michigan has received approval from FEMA to provide non-congregate housing for people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that the state received approval from FEMA to provide housing alternatives, including hotels and motels, for people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic.

A caterer from Ann Arbor, Stacy Williams, has been delivering meals to frontline medical staff at Michigan Medicine and St. Joseph Mercy hospitals. Williams has also teamed up with Pastor Vicky Lovell to provide food to people experiencing homelessness at four sites that are providing 24-hour shelter.

Partnerships among city departments, nonprofits, and other organizations aim to protect people experiencing homelessness in Detroit, including a new collaborative effort of restaurants providing food for about 400 sheltered residents each day.

The Community Housing Network is using funds from a $100,000 grant from United Way for Southeastern Michigan to offer rental assistance and additional services to low-income renters. Housing advocates in Oakland County are calling for additional rental assistance and more affordable housing investments during and after the pandemic. 

Detroit shelters are adjusting, rethinking, and expanding their daily operations to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness during COVID-19.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order halting evictions, recently extended until May 15, does not protect people living in hotels, motels, and Airbnbs. While acknowledging that hotels follow different sets of laws than landlords, housing advocates and lawyers expressed concerns about the families excluded from Michigan’s eviction ban.

With funding from United Way’s Disaster Relief Fund, 100 hotel rooms in Battle Creek have been acquired to use as quarantine space for people experiencing homelessness who are symptomatic or have tested positive for COVID-19.

In Saginaw, the Saginaw Diocese’s Center for Ministry will become an emergency shelter for homeless individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The center will support homeless individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 but do not need hospitalization, as well as those who may have been exposed to it and need to self-isolate.

Service providers will still be allowed to provide food and shelter to people in need under Michigan’s stay at home order. Many organizations in the state are scrambling to deal with the spread of COVID-19.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Thursday she is appointing a coronavirus task force to recommend ways to address the racial disparities in the occurrence of COVID-19 in Michigan. Michigan ranks third in the country for the number of people withCOVID-19; and over 40% of deaths due to COVID-19 in Michigan have been among African Americans, although African Americans make up 14% of the state's population.

Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor homeless population faces shelter, sanitation challenges amid COVID-19 crisis.

Detroit

The Detroit City Council will vote on June 8 on a plan to direct millions in coronavirus relief funding toward rental assistance, eviction prevention, and homeless assistance. Pending approval, Detroit would receive $10.5 million in Emergency Solutions Grants to respond to the coronavirus among people experiencing homelessness. The city would also receive $20.8 million in Community Development Block Grant funds for housing counseling, tax-filing assistance, rental assistance, and tenant legal aid.

June 12, 2020.

An employee of a transitional housing program for formerly homeless individuals tested positive for COVID-19. Six staff members are now self-quarantining. 

Two people in Detroit’s homeless shelter system have tested positive for COVID-19. They are being separated with 27 others at a new facility created for social isolation.

The city of Detroit is ramping up COVID-19 testing in nursing homes and homeless shelters. Detroit was given five machines and 5,000 testing kits, and is running 200-250 instant COVID-19 tests a day.

Kalamazoo

Nearly 180 people experiencing homelessness in Kalamazoo who were temporarily staying in hotels during the pandemic will be moved before the Emergency Relief Shelter Project that shelters Kalamazoo’s hotel programs closes on June 30. Kalamazoo County Health officer Jim Rutherford said that the low rate of positive COVID-19 tests among people experiencing homelessness is an encouraging sign for reintegrating families back into a shelter.

June 22, 2020.

Kalamazoo Mayor David Anderson emphasized the need for additional resources to address the uptick in homelessness as a result of the pandemic. The city is temporarily housing people experiencing homelessness in a motel and has opened day shelters where individuals can receive hot meals. These solutions cost Kalamazoo an average of $60,000 per week, and the city needs significant resources to continue providing these essential services.

No information at this time.

Federal, state, and local eviction moratoriums are rapidly expiring and the CARES Act supplemental unemployment benefits will end soon; at that time, millions of low-income renters will be at risk of losing their homes. The NLIHC estimates at least $100 billion in emergency rental assistance is needed to keep low-income renters stably housed during and after the pandemic. This tracker links to news reports of the growing evictions crisis in various cities and states. Check NLIHC's cumulative list of eviction updates.

As Detroit’s eviction moratorium ends this week, the 36th District Court estimates a backlog of about 900 eviction cases and expects to hold hearings for 200 to 300 cases that were not already resolved.  49 eviction hearings were held at the courthouse last week in Ypsilanti Township. Advocates worry that these numbers will skyrocket: 70% of Ypsilanti are renters.

August 28, 2020.

Detroit News reports that the eviction process has resumed in Michigan - except in Detroit, which extended its eviction moratorium until August 17. An estimated 457,000, or 43%, of Michigan renter households are at risk of losing their homes, and Black renters are disproportionately represented among renters who report “no or slight confidence” that they can pay next month’s rent.

August 12, 2020

After the eviction protections expired on July 15, the government introduced an Eviction Diversion Program, which could help waiver fees and forgive up to 10% of what is owed. The State Supreme Court put additional requirements on landlords to prove in their eviction filing that their property wasn't covered by previous emergency orders. Eviction cases are being conducted remotely and in person. 

July 31, 2020

In the weeks before Michigan's statewide eviction moratorium expiration on July 15, calls to their state's 211 call center increased 76%. 

In the third week of July, 21.4% of adults in Michigan reported they had missed their previous housing payment or had little confidence they would make their next one on time, according to a weekly survey conducted by the Census. In the same survey, over two hundred thousand renters reported they had not paid their previous rental payment.  

July 29, 2020

Michigan’s statewide eviction moratorium expired on July 15th. State officials are bracing for an estimated 80,000 eviction cases to be filed in the coming months. According to a weekly survey by the Census, 1 in 5 adults in the state either missed their last housing payment or have little/no confidence of being able to make next month’s housing payment.

July 16, 2020