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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * 

December 30, 2024  

Contact: [email protected]   

  

*Governor Whitmer Signs Bills Expanding Affordable Housing Options Across the State, Lowering Costs and Putting Money Back in Michiganders’ Pockets* 

"Additional legislation helps create jobs and grow the economy, makes changes to the courts" 

  

*LANSING, Mich. * – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed eight commonsense bills that will expand affordable housing options for Michiganders by reducing the barriers renters must overcome while looking for a roof over their heads. Additional legislation signed protects Michiganders testifying in the courtroom, combats human trafficking, and supports economic development in our state. Including today’s legislation, Governor Whitmer has signed a record 1,431 bipartisan bills into law since taking office. 

 

"I am committed to growing access to affordable housing so every Michigander can raise their family in a vibrant community,” said *Governor Whitmer*. “That’s why I am proud to sign these commonsense bills that expand affordable housing options and protect Michiganders from housing discrimination. I’m also proud to sign additional bipartisan legislation that will protect survivors in the courtroom and help grow Michigan’s data processing industry. I’ll work with anyone to make sure Michigan is the first place folks think of to live, work, and raise their families.” 

 

*Senate Bills 205* [ [link removed] ], *206* [ [link removed] ], and *207* [ [link removed] ], sponsored by state Senators Mary Cavanagh (D-Redford Township), Rosemary Bayer (D-West Bloomfield), and Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor), expand affordable housing options in Michigan by preventing qualifying landlords from denying a tenant housing based on their source of income. The bills also combat homelessness in Michigan by reducing the barriers folks have to overcome when finding housing in our state. These changes will help potentially 34,290 families afford a roof over their heads and will create more affordable housing options for Michiganders across the state, building on the Whitmer-Gilchrist administration’s commitment to ensuring anyone can “make it in Michigan.”   

 

*Senate Bills 515* [ [link removed] ],* **516* [ [link removed] ], and *517* [ [link removed] ], sponsored by state Senators Rosemary Bayer (D-West Bloomfield), Sue Shink (D-Northfield Township), and Stepanie Chang (D-Detroit), will combat human trafficking in Michigan and help bring justice for survivors of sexual assault by updating the process to gather and use evidence in prosecuting perpetrators of these crimes. Specifically, the bills ease the rules for a victim’s testimony and allow a perpetrator’s prior criminal activities as pieces of evidence. Not only will these bills protect survivors of these horrific crimes, but they will also address human trafficking in our state, building a more secure Michigan where everyone can feel safe from sexual violence.   

 

*Senate Bill 248* [ [link removed] ], sponsored by state Senator Dan Lauwers (R-Brockway), supports a wider range of individuals when testifying in the courtroom by expanding the age limit to have a courtroom support dog from 16 years old to 18 years old. This bill joins Michigan with 20 other states that already have similar policy in effect, supporting young individuals in their pursuit of justice. 

 

*Senate Bill 237* [ [link removed] ], sponsored by state Senator Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores), supports Michigan business owners and helps to expand data center production in Michigan by extending a tax exemption for individuals and companies investing in data center equipment. This bill provides incentives for data centers to locate in Michigan, creating jobs and supporting local economies, bolstering the Whitmer-Gilchrist administration’s commitment to making sure anyone can “make it in Michigan.”   

 

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