The City of Ypsilanti is seeking three city renters who are willing to devote their time to addressing tenant concerns and improving the quality of leased housing. The renters would become part of the city's newly created Ad-Hoc Tenants' Rights Subcommittee.
The expected responsibilities of the subcommittee members include creating new policies, communicating with landlords, preparing annual reports and engaging in public discussion regarding rental issues. The subcommittee was created in September 2025.
City Council Member Amber Fellows, who represents Ward 3, sponsored the resolution that created the committee.
"We want people that are not only interested in having a perspective of being a renter in Ypsilanti but are also motivated around creating new conditions and rules for which tenants can have more say and self-determination in the renting process," Fellows said.
In the announcement the city posted about open applications for the Tenants' Rights Committee, city officials said the subcommittee's work will focus on advancing a goal in the city's master plan: "Anyone, no matter what age or income, can find a place to call home in Ypsilanti."
The committee's creation comes soon after Michigan lawmakers announced the introduction of a statewide legislative package addressing tenants' rights. Michigan State House Rep. Jimmie Wilson Jr., who represents the 32nd District, including the city and Ypsilanti and Superior townships, was one of many sponsors of the bill.
"I would say there's momentum in some ways because the conditions have gotten so bad," Fellows said. "I started in tenants' rights organizing back in 2015. We started putting pressure on the city in 2016-2017, and we're still talking about these issues now. Eviction rates have increased; homelessness has increased; housing insecurity is kind of common at this point. We have to change the organizing conditions so that people can stabilize and remain in their housing."
While the city's website states that residents should apply by Oct. 31, 2025, Fellows said that is not a hard deadline and that applications are still welcome in the coming days.
"EMU students that live on campus are certainly [welcome]," Fellows said. "I would love to have EMU representation. I think it would be a great way to get more engagement between the student population and the city."
The three tenant members will join six others on the committee, which will operate for three years. The current committee members include two city council members and a representative of each of four other agencies: YpsiBIG, a ballot initiative group; the city's Human Relations Commission; the Planning Commission; and the Sustainability Commission.
Interested residents can apply on the city of Ypsilanti's website.
