(Source: MIRS.news, Published 01/15/2025) Rep. Carrie A. Rheingans (D-Ann Arbor)’ bill to allow municipalities to determine their own policies on rent stabilization was the first Democrat-sponsored bill to be referred to the House Government Operations Committee this term, a fact that she said she’s proud of.  

House Government Operations, historically, has been a graveyard for bills the majority wants to be buried. 

Currently, state law preempts municipalities from being able to get creative on how to address rent prices in a way that’s best for their residents, Rheingans said. 

HB 4009 doesn’t require municipalities to implement rent control or cap policies, but allows them to if they so choose.  

It’s a reintroduction of her HB 4947 from last term, after she heard from constituents about how the issue was affecting them. Shortly after the introduction of that bill, her own rent was increased 33 percent from $1,500 to $2,000 per month. 

“Once upon a time, Carrie decided to run for office, and I was running for Ann Arbor City Council because that was the only thing available, really, because I wasn’t gonna run against Jason Morgan for state House,” Rheingans said. Since half of Ann Arbor residents are renters, Rheingans wanted to represent renters on the council. 

Even though her rent increased 33 percent, her income didn’t, and there’s technically nothing prohibiting her landlord from raising her rent 100 or 200 percent in her next lease renewal, she said. 

Pontiac, Flint, Detroit, Ann Arbor and other municipalities have passed resolutions in support of this policy, Rheingans said, and the bill would be “one tiny little thing” that would restore local control by allowing the municipalities to decide what they should or shouldn’t do to stabilize rent. 

Rheingans said she figured the bill would end up in Government Operations. She said that means the indication she’s getting from the Republican caucus about the bill is that they “really just want to play into the hands of the rich corporation landlords and, as always, Republicans are on the side of the rich and powerful, not on the side of the little guys.” 

On other aspects of housing affordability, Rheingans said she doesn’t think people would realize how widespread the damage from tariffs put in place by the incoming Trump administration could get – for example, if they delayed the supply chain for housing materials. 

“Tariffs that are going to be put in place by federal Republicans demonstrate to me that Republicans really don’t care about people’s ability to live and have a roof over their heads,” Rheingans said. “I think Republicans just want to be obstructionists and play political games, like not sending bills that are passed to the governor . . . unless it makes one of their rich donors more money, I don’t know what would be their (housing) priority.” 

Rheingans also mentioned ethics and transparency policy, and said she loves that House rules are adding more transparency to enhancement grants in the budget. However, she said, if Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) really wants to close the revolving door of legislators becoming lobbyists, as he said in a press roundtable last week, then he should “prove it,” she said. 

“Anything he says, he can just prove. He’s the speaker. He can tell LSB to draft bills. I mean, like literally, put it up. Prove it,” Rheingans said. “I love being in the minority.”