About MI Rent Is Too Damn High

MI Rent Is Too Damn High is a statewide coalition of tenant unions, housing justice groups, and allied organizations from across Michigan. Our inaugural event was the September 5, 2023 Rent Is Too Damn High demonstration, which brought out 350 tenants from across the state to the Capitol in Lansing. The success of this event, which was declared the largest gathering of organized renters in Michigan in several decades, inspired us to keep working together as a durable statewide coalition

The Rent Is Too Damn High coalition includes 55 grassroots tenant organizations and housing justice groups from around the state. The co-anchoring organizations of the coalition are We The People MI and Detroit Action.

How RG MI Action Can Help - Let's Strengthen Tenant Leadership in Detroit!

MI Rent Is Too Damn High coalesced over the last two years through an emphasis on mobilization — mass demonstrations in Lansing, drawing on existing networks of tenants across the state, which brought new unity and focus to the Michigan tenant movement.

Now, with political conditions changing in Lansing and DC, it’s time to double-down on organization — identifying natural tenant leaders who are already trusted among their neighbors, developing these leaders through training, and uniting them into a larger and more advanced base of organized tenants. Rent Is Too Damn High is encouraging this work around the state, while taking particular responsibility for the cities of Lansing and Detroit.

Through organizing to build our base in times when the political winds are against us, we grow our strength and prepare for future breakthroughs when the winds are with us.

$35,000 from RG members and supporters will support tenant leadership development and base-building in the city of Detroit, including: tenant organizing trainings, fellowships for emerging leaders, canvassing expenses and other mass outreach. We are also considering hiring an additional staff organizer for Detroit tenants, but this depends on the wider funding landscape beyond this fundraising drive.

One leading campaign for tenants in the city of Detroit, which will be supported by these funds, is the fight for legal counsel in tenant-landlord proceedings. The Detroit Right To Counsel coalition, including RITDH co-anchor Detroit Action, successfully organized to win the right to free legal assistance for tenants facing eviction. However, this program remains to be permanently funded in the city budget. Detroit Action with the Right to Counsel coalition are organizing tenants to intervene in the city budget process to secure ongoing funds and ensure that no tenant goes unrepresented. This is one of several specific tenants rights’ campaigns that will be supported by your donation.

What is the Resource Generation Michigan chapter?

Resource Generation is a community of young people with wealth organizing for economic justice. We redistribute personal & inherited wealth to movement spaces and solidarity economy work. In Michigan, we have been organizing for more than five years.

This campaign is being organized through Resource Generation Action, RG's sister organization. RG Action's Mission & Vision are here:

Mission: RG Action organizes young people with access to wealth and class privilege to work in solidarity with poor and working class people across race as they build the political power of social movements to realize a world where wealth, land and power are equitably shared.

Vision: RG Action envisions a world where political power is in the hands of people and communities at the frontlines of movements for racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice. A world where poor and working class people across race have the collective power to decide how resources are distributed, and to shape and lead the governance of our communities at every level - local, state, and nationally.

Please Note: These funds are going toward the 501(c)(4) wing of Detroit Action. Thus, your donation will not be tax deductible.

MI Rent Is Too Damn High & RG Michigan Action

Join RG Michigan Action as we fundraise for MI Rent Is Too Damn High to support tenant organizing in Detroit!

Team Members