The Michigan Daily-Sunday, October 19, 1980-Page 7
Forum investi
sates housing crisis
Fnn Arbor'tenants and other persons
interested in tenant-landlord issues
were treated to several workshops and
iscussion sessions in the Michigan
nion yesterday as part of a four-day
regional housing conference sponsored
by the Public Interest Research Group
in Michigan. The seminars focused on
topics including landlord profits, rent
control, rental ,discrimination, and
current housing legislation.
The conference, titled "Housing for
People," will end today following a
speech at noon in the Michigan League
allroom by Georgia state Sen. Julian
Bond on the national housing crisis.
Following are reports on the
workshops:
Rent control debate
Rents are rising nationally at 20 per-
cent per year rate and climb regardless
of vacancy rates, said John Gilder-
bloom, a fellow in the Foundation for
National Progress. These reasons are
enough to justify rent control, he said.
"Rent control is a shoddy Band-Aid
. . . we must look towards the future,"
argued George Seernlieb, director of
the Center for Urban Policy Research
at Rutgers University. He said rent
control aids the affluent and hurts the
poor.
The U.S. housing supply has in-
creased dramatically in the last decade
and that oversupply limits the need for
rent control, he said.
University housing
and the private
market
The growing demand for housing in
ANN Arbor is due in part to rising
divorce rates, postponement of
marriages, and declining birth rates,
Ann-Arbor Urban Information System
representative Fred Bohl said during a
einihar on housing shortages facing
rmany university towns like Ann Arbor.
Bohl added the Ann Arbor households
This story was written by Julie
Engebrecht and Tom Mirga with
reports from Garland Campbell,
Greg Davis, Mark Gindin, David
Spak, and Jeff Voight.
are getting smaller, and that 57 percent
of all housing in the city is rented.
These facts, he said, give ample
evidence as to why the city's housing
market is so tight.
University housing official Ed
'S alowitz said the city's housing crunch
was aggravated in 1971 when the
Regents rejected a proposal to con-
struct additional student housing due,
in part, to rising construction costs.
Landlord profits
Profit is "central to the struggle bet-
ween landlords and tenants," accor-
ding to Student Legal Services lawyer
Paul Teich.
"Every issue (between a landlord
and tenant) comes down to
economics," he said. "People tend to
believe landlords make a lot of money
and I think it's true."
Teich said Ann Arbor had the second
highest average monthly rent in the
nation in 1970.
Most landlords make a profit by
buying and selling the properties and do
not believe they are making money at
the expense of their tenants, Teich said.
One landlord in the audience, who
had just built a new apartment
building, claimed it will be at least 15 to
20 years before he turns a profit on that
building.
Tax proposals
and tenants
State Rep. Perry Bullard (D-Ann Ar-
bor) and state Department of Civil
Rights Chief Deputy Director Thomas
Peloso engaged in a debate on tax
proposals that will confront state voters
on the November 4 ballot and how they
will affect tenants.
Bullard spoke in favor of Proposal A,
of which he is a co-sponsor, while
Peloso discussed the merits of Proposal
C, which has the backing of Gov.
William Milliken and the state
legislature. A spokesperson for
Proposal D, the Tisch tax cut plan, did
not attend the debate.
Bullard and Peloso joined in an at-
tack on the Tisch proposal. Bullard
called it a potential disaster for the
state. Peloso added that "you don't
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Daily Photo by LISA KLAUSNER
SECOND DISTRICT Democratic congressional candidate Kathleen O'Reiley and State Sen. Ed Pierce (D-Ann Arbor)
speak yesterday on housing reform laws to a Michigan Union crowd. The regional housing conference, sponsored by
PIRGIM, ends today.
change the tax structure by abolishing
the government."
Peloso also said Proposal D's
requirement of a 60 percent peoples'
vote on tax issues would mean a
minority of persons would actually
determine tax increases. This, he ex-
plained, was due to the low percentage
of voters who exercise their right to
vote. '
Discrimination
in housing
Methods of dealing with
discrimination in housing due to
physical handicap or race were the
main topics of discussion for a
representative of a local legal aid ser-
vice and representatives of the state
Department of Civil Rights.
Lillian Benbow and Cliff Schrupp of
the state's civil rights department
described how landlords and realtors
are tested to determine if they
discriminate on the basis of race.
The test, they said, involves sending
two "renters" who differ in race to a
realt r. If the two are treated in a
radically different manner, Benbow
and Schrupp explained, there may be a
finding of racial discrimination. They
added that 70 percent of the cases they
test result in the finding of some form of
discrimination.
Susan Hartman, a lawyer for Legal
Services of Southeastern Michigan, In-c,
described a case in which a lawyer
defended a landlord being sued by a
handicapped tenant. The lawyer
argued it was unfair to force the lan-
dlord to take care of the tenant, and
won. Hartman said that case is curren-
tly being appealed.
Housing legislation
Pro-tenant housing legislation will
not be passed by either the state or
federal legialature unless people are
educated about their rights, Michigan
Tenants' Rights Coalition lobbyist
Roger Winthrop said during a
discussion of current housing
legialation.
State Rep. Perry Bullard (D-Ann Ar-
bor) agreed with Winthrop and cited
several examples of housing legislation
that were approved by the state
legislature due to heavy lobbying by
tenants' rights groups.
Kathleen O'Reilly, Democratic
challenger to Rep. Carl Pursell (R-
Plymouth) in the U.S. 2nd
Congressional District race, said the
federal government passed a fair
housing act in 1946, but the law has been
ineffective because it has not been en-
I
Daily Photo by LISA KLAUSNER
Miles for ERA
Supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment walked 7% miles yesterday morning to raise money. A rally before the
walk featured Second District congressional candidates Carl Pursell and Kathleen O'Reilly.
Peace Corps marks 20th year
(Continued from Page 6
*ther the understanding between
peoples," he said. Intense fighting in
Nicaragua forced the corps to
gradually withdraw from the country,
beginning in August 1978. Over the next
six months, 95 volunteers fled from the
revolution that topped the Somoza
government. John Heard, who, along
with his wife, Anne, co-directs the
Nicaragua project, said that if there
*are any political implications of retur-
ning to Nicaragua, they are positive.
"A precedent can be established if we
can work together with the other coun-
try,"he said. "We try to be as honest as
possible with our people (volunteers),"
Heard explained. "In our minds, the
country is safe. The shooting has stop-
ped." He said the entire project is a
challenge for Peace Corps workers who
choose to visit the country.
Although it is essentially a non-
political organization, the Peace Corps
has faced some of its bleakest years
during Republican administrations.
Despite this tradition, however, Shriver
says it is difficult to predict how the
organization would fare if Republican
presidential nominee Ronald Reagan is
elected in November. "I'm not sure.
The Peace Corps does work with
private agencies (and) it is volun-
teer-from that point it would be ap-
pealing to Ronald Reagan," Shriver
said. "But it does cost money. I don't
think he would want to increase the
budget."
Shriver greatly stressed the need for
increases in the Peace Corps budget
and said he would someday like to see a
world-wide Peace Corps similar to the
World Red Cross. He said prospective
volunteers from various countries are
prepared to serve, but the project will
need "some big leader to get it started.
"It would be easy for the president to
do," said Shriver. "That would be
making the world safe for
humanity-not just democracy.
Something Fun ... Something Different
Take A
Huron farms Cider Mill Fall Color Tour
The Natural Place For Cider And Donuts
MICHIGAN THEATRE
OLD-FASHIONED Entertainment/Movie Palace/ Prices[
Sun, Oct 19, 6, 7:45 p.m. and Mon, Oct 20, 4:15, 6, 7:45 p.m.
"A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM" (196)
Movie director Richard Lester prints a manic montage of vaudeville turns, movie bits. and gag car-
toons (Jules Feiffer, "Life"), Stephen Sondheim music with Zero Mostel, Jack Gilfoord, Phil Silvers,
Buster Keaton
$2 each*
Fri, Oct. 31, Hallowe'en Vaudeville '81 Shows
At All Three Fun-Packed Shows
HANK MOOREHOUSE, Magician and Illusionist
Greg Yassick, Organist
6:30 p.m. Family Show
"FIVE THOUSAND FINGERS OF DR. T." (1953)
Dr. Seuss wrote the lyrics for this movie
9:15,11:30 p.m. Adult Shows
"THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER" (165
1. Take N. Main To West Huron
River Drive. Turn Left.
2. Enjoy The Scenic Ride Along
The Huron River Catching
Reflections Of Color and
Water. Stop At Dehli Park
and See The Rapids Under
The Old Metal Bridge.
3. Continue Down Huron River
Drive to Zeeb Rd. Turn Right
and Go % Mile To Huron
Farms Cider Mill. Picnic In
Our Area Or Take A Stroll
In The Orchard Picking Ap-
ples, Or Just Enjoying The
Fall Colors. Make Sure You
Get A Supply Of Apples Or
Cider To Take Home.
CAMPUS
14 N. MAIN ST,
1
MAO amm.
AKK'
S
LEES AV.
a * 1
CIOLD
t
BARN *
Hulto
$d 12 !C
D1s0%
(sbop,
SPECIAL
Italian Buffet
all you can eat for only
FRESH CIDER
HOT DONUTS
I
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