Oppose Mandates That Eliminate Our Voice in Local Decisions

Governor Whitmer and Members of the Legislature

As residents who live and work in communities across this state, we urge you to reject current housing legislation (House Bills 5529–5532 and 5581–5585) that would limit our ability to participate in local planning decisions.

Community input is a cornerstone of local governance. These bills would restrict how residents raise concerns, suggest changes, and influence housing development in their neighborhoods. They override local authority with broad state mandates, imposing zoning changes such as reduced lot sizes, setbacks, dwelling sizes and parking spaces as well as by-right duplexes and accessory dwelling units.

The communities we live in would see resources wasted, master plans overridden, and community input ignored, while providing no guarantee that newly constructed housing will be affordable for working individuals and families who need it. It raises concerns that new developments will directly benefit private investors and short-term rental operators like Airbnb that prioritize high prices, investment returns, and profits over community stability.

Careful local planning allows housing to be built where existing infrastructure can support the growth, including water and sewer systems, stormwater management, roads, and emergency services. These mandates ignore those realities, potentially leading to higher costs for ALL residents through increased taxes and utility rates.

We urge you to address housing policy collaboratively, so it truly serves the people and communities it affects. The impact of these decisions will last long after your time in office. Without a meaningful voice in the process, who will residents turn to when they have concerns or ideas about development in their own neighborhoods?

Reject this legislation and protect our ability to shape local solutions that fit our community’s needs.

Sincerely,

The Concerned Citizens of Michigan