Eviction Ban: Reflecting on housing as a given right

Two weeks ago, Governor Gretchen Whitmer extended the eviction ban until July 15. In describing the situation, she said “No Michigander should have to worry about losing their home during a global health pandemic and, at the same time, landlords and management companies need rent from their tenants to sustain their businesses. This innovative new program will save lives, save money, and save businesses by keeping families in their homes and providing immediate financial relief to landlords for back rent they’re due.” Overall, I’m glad that the extension has happened, because people definitely shouldn’t have to be fearing the loss of their homes in a time like this. One thing I’m thinking about is why people have to live in this fear to begin with? I generally believe that housing a right and not privilege, so this isn’t something specific to the current time; more than anything, this is me being curious about why the government couldn’t provide services that keep people from losing their homes to begin with. There are core issues that go beyond covid-19 that have lead many families in Michigan, especially in cities like Detroit, to lose their homes, yet not much seems to be done about it. For example, gentrification in Detroit is such a significant cause to people being evicted from their homes, yet this issue endures. And In general, the collective cost for the government would go down if the issue of homelessness was solved, yet the government never attacks It from the core and focuses on blaming individuals for their situation. Why aren’t preventive measures put in place so that people never have to fear losing their homes? I say this especially because many of the people who are currently most vulnerable but protected from losing their homes are very much at risk to losing their homes once the eviction ban expires— what will happen then? I’ve been thinking a lot about how much money the government in general has been directing towards protecting individuals throughout the pandemic, and I’m simply amazed at the fact that people complained that there was never enough money in the government to support vulnerable populations in the US.