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CoinvDottdpat crease to ODCC annually aod to
- DO more than S% from what is
Detroit - The Detroit Or-. currCDtIy . d,
pDization of Tenants (DOT) . Proposal ·0", is a city 0 -
• "Yes to Proposal ·0·, but djnance that created out of
is it actually being imple- the need to take action against
meDlcd, ed DOT Tenant slumlords who continually in-
� Sybil A '.. crea e rents on properties
Proposal "0 , the Fair Rent . ch they refuse to maintain
, tha landlord or but insists on rental payments or
p:opcrty owner shall increase the teDaDt faces eviction.
the rents .on any domicile DOT Ten�t Organizer
. first . complied Sybil Aquatine said some
· the City dard . • _ 6S,(XX) voters approved the or-
codes, and then . •• the in- dinance during tOe 1988 July
elections. She said tenants and
landlords alike conferred as
well as voted to pass the Or
dinance and feel it should there
fore be pu - into effect.
Augustine said oDC of the
primary goals of the Organiza
tion is to overturn the ruling
against 'Proposal "0" by Gov.
James Blanchard who passed a
state law, Public Act 226, just
before Proposal "0" was voted
in.
Public Act 226 states that a
Fair Rent Ordj"ance shall not
sloo
be mandated within the state of
Michigan, thereby rendering
the new Ordinance moot.
. Augustine said DOT· scar ..
ching for plaintiffs to speak out
in court, stating that Public Act
226 is unconstitutional. said
proof of this is in the unsafe, un-
maintained buildings that are
DO up to code.
Augustine said DOT has
been canvasing with posters and
�ublic announcements, through
other community organizations
such If-Snap-Back, MACO,
North Cass Community Union,
Save Our Spirit, Concern
Citizen of Ca s Corridor,
United Community Housing
Coalition, in n effort to get
tenants to come forward.
Augustine said many tenants
fear landlord retaliation, and
are threatened with physical
violence or eviction if they
speak up. However, she said
what tenants don't know is th t
they are protected by law
against such actions.
Augustine aid because
tenants are not ware of this
protective law, "We really have
to & dilligent in our search to
find people who willing to
t ke this case all the way to
court."
Augustine aid, "What has
been happening in the p t i
th t tenants complain to our
Organization, we look into it
and contact the landlord, then
, the landlord fIX the place up
and the tenant withdraws the
complaint."
Augustine said although a
fe�(enants were satisfied, these
condescending tactics make it a
lot longer and harder job to go
. in and organize the tenants of
each building with no ammuni
tion to put the scare into the
landlords.
Augustine said if this Or
dinance is passed it will prevent
these drc.llmsblnces in their en
tirety because the tenants will
be abreast of the laws and be
able to stand up to the landlords
upon request for rent increases.
Augustine said DOT has a
team of attorneys, from UCHC
and Michigan Legal Services
I'
C
commiH e tor
comp e
COU
IDETIlorr- T e Complete
Count Committee, a nearly
2OO-member group of com ..
muDity leader goal is to
CDlure acCuracy duriDg the 1990
teas in Detroi wiD be chaired
by Rev. Charles Ad m of
Hartford emorial Baptist
Chur • hood activist
Helen Kelly; Jolm Lobbia, vice
pre ideat and director of
UAW /National Ford Depart
ment; d Ge eva Williams,
senior vice pr ·dent of United
Community Services of
MateropolitaD Detroit. The
Committee a formed by
Mayor ColelD8D Young.
The Complete Count Com
mittee will hold special events
to heighten awareDess of the
ee amo aD Detroit resi
dents; a city pokesperso id,
A main go of the committee is
to eeeour residents to p -
ticipale actively in the census.
Residen will be urged to con
tact the U.S. Ccns Burea if
�yare�ddwMgtheApru
1 population survey. The com
mittee also will help residents
obatin survey forms.
"The 1990 Ccns will playa
major part in shaping the future
of Detroit," Mayor Young said.
. "It is vital that the Census
Bureau makes an accurate
count of aU our residents.
Previo census surveys have
not always taken into account
. such phenomena as "doubling
up: where two or more families
live' in the same household, the
Mayor id.
The M yor's complete
Count Committee will work
until next September. The city
also·' taking other meaures to
ensure a complete population
count. AmOUDg other things,
the city is making sure tha an
accura e count of housing units
is made before the census. The
Census Bure u counts housing
units as part of its pre-census
local review program.
who are going to draw up a legal
brief for the case, then the e
goes to court challenging the
tate statute 226. '
� ld in the event
that the statutue' no over
turn; ... , the team will t
the e of Michigan e empt
cities with populations over
300,000. She . d if this fails also
the Legal Team will that the
. city of Detroit be m de exempt.
Ichigan
Youth Corps
grant
available
The Michigan Youth Corps
recently announced a tatewide
competition for its $1 million
1990 Blue Ribbon Oppor
tunitie Project grants.
. "We're looking for innova
tive demonstration projects that
will train Youth Corps mem
ber , ve the support of the
private sector, and produce
lastin community benefits," .
said B tty Howe" director of the
Michigan Youth Corps a d the
ichigan Department of
J Labor. "We're challenging
groups and communities acr
the tat to submit propo als."
Local govern merits, school
di ricts, public agencies, and
private nonprofit organizations
are eligibl to apply.
Proposals must be submitted
in early February 1990, nd
grant awards will be announced
in mid-March 1990.
Thi is the third year the
Michigan Youth Corps has
made Blue Ribbon grants. In
1989, S850,OOO was awarded for
16 project . Last year $1 million
wa divided mong 30 projects.
No single project can receive
mo ethan 100,000.
"These projects should have
broad community involvement
and help strengthen the bridge
between the public nd private
sector ," Ho sid. "Last
year's grants generated nearly
$850,000 in local support."
Past Blue Ribbon grants
have included: $1,800 to con
struct a handicapper- ccessible
fishing pier in Ionia; 11,300 for'
a tourism survey in the. Upper
Peninsula, $35,000 to restore a
World War II subm rine in
Mu kegon, and $75,000 for a
river clean-up effort in Iron
County.
For more information about
the Blue 'Ribbon grant and
deadlines, and copies of the
proposal guid lines, contact:
Michigan Youth Corp , P.o.
Box 30015, Lansing. Michigan
48909. Phone (517) 699-1320.
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