Housing Commission

Authorizing Statute:
Housing Facilities Act, Public Act 18 of 1933, MCL 125.651, et seq.

Authorities and Responsibilities:
Any city, village, township or county of the state of Michigan may purchase, acquire, construct, maintain, operate, improve, extend or repair housing facilities and eliminate housing conditions which are detrimental to the public peace, health, safety, morals or welfare.

Such commission shall have the following enumerated powers and duties:

(a) To determine in what areas of the township it is necessary to provide proper sanitary housing facilities for families of low income and for the elimination of housing conditions which are detrimental to the public peace, health, safety, morals, and/or welfare;

(b) To purchase, lease, sell, exchange, transfer, assign and mortgage any property, real or personal, or any interest therein, or acquire the same by gift, bequest or under the power of eminent domain; to own, hold, clear and improve property; to engage in or to contract for the design and construction, reconstruction, alteration, improvement, extension, and/or repair of any housing project or projects or parts thereof; to lease and/or operate any housing project or projects;

(c) To control and supervise all parks and playgrounds forming a part of such housing development but may contract with existing departments of the township for operation or maintenance of either or both;

(d) To establish and revise rents of any housing project or projects, but shall rent all property for such sums as will make them self-supporting, including all charges for maintenance and operation, for principal and interest on loans and bonds, and for taxes;

(e) To rent only to such tenants as are unable to pay for more expensive housing accommodations;

(f) To call upon other departments for assistance in the performance of its duties, but said departments shall be reimbursed for any added expense incurred therefor.

(g) It shall have such other powers relating to said housing facilities project as may be prescribed by ordinance or resolution of the governing body of the township or as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this act.

Established By:
Any city, village, township or county may create by ordinance, subject to right of referendum, a commission with power to accomplish the purposes of purchasing, acquiring, constructing, maintaining, operating, improving, extending or repairing housing facilities and eliminating housing conditions which are detrimental to the public peace, health, safety, morals or welfare.

Membership:
The commission shall consist of 5 members to be appointed by the township supervisor. The term of office of members of the commission shall be 5 years. Members of the first commission shall be appointed for the terms of 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, and 5 years respectively, and annually thereafter 1 member shall be appointed for the term of 5 years. One member of the commission shall be a tenant of public or subsidized housing.

Compensation to Members:
A member of the commission may receive compensation for actual expenses incurred in serving as a member of the commission in an amount determined by the commission. The governing body of an incorporating unit may adopt a resolution establishing limitations on the amounts of actual expenses that may be paid to a member of a commission.

OMA/FOIA Status:
Public body subject to Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act.