LANSING, Mich. (Feb. 4, 2021) — Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-Beverly Hills), Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), and Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) have issued the following joint statement after the Michigan Senate went another day without discussions to distribute federal funds that would help deliver relief to residents during the COVID-19 pandemic:
“Another day of committee meetings and session has passed where the Legislature has failed to act and vote to distribute federal relief dollars to hardworking Michigan families and small businesses. We must work together to get this important funding into our communities to support the distribution of vaccines and the safe reopening of our schools.
“We remain deeply concerned about the lack of action on this funding for our vulnerable residents, who continue to fall behind on rent and utility bills the longer they wait for financial support. Tens of thousands of Michigan families are on the verge of homelessness when the eviction moratorium expires, and they are counting on all of us to get them the help they need.
“We are ready to do the work to get these federal dollars back into programs — including the $600 million earmarked for the eviction diversion program that helps renters and property owners — because leaving people to struggle is not, and should never be, a partisan issue. It is a crisis of basic needs and public health that simply must be addressed now. We urge our Republican colleagues to put the necessary votes on the board because Michiganders can’t afford to wait any longer.”
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