(Source: MIRS.news, Published 11/14/2024) In a 5-2 vote, the “Homeless Bill of Rights” moved to the House Economic Development and Small Business committee from its Housing subcommittee on Thursday.   

Emily E. Dievendorf (D-Lansing) testified on behalf of HB 4919, a bill she introduced in 2023. The legislation aims to prohibit discrimination based on housing status by establishing a “bill of rights” for homeless communities.   

This legislation serves as an “equality bill, not an equity bill," Dievendorf said. It does not expand rights, but it creates a standard where previously established rights for everybody also apply to the homeless population.  

She said these rights include the right to move freely in public spaces, equal treatment by state and municipal agencies, protection from employment discrimination, emergency medical care, confidentiality of personal records, the right to property and the ability to vote.  

Examples she gave of this discrimination included people who do not have identification being turned away at the door of government agencies and being turned away from using public spaces.  

“This bill is especially important as we are in the midst of a housing crisis,” she said.   

“We have so many community members who absolutely should be covered but simply aren’t because folks are exercising what they think is their right to deny people access to those resources,” Dievendorf said.