Michigan’s local elected leaders are making it clear: They will oppose state efforts to preempt their ability to set zoning regulations.
That idea is being floated by some in Lansing as a way to ease rules they say restrict the creation of more affordable housing. Governor Gretchen Whitmer is expected to endorse similar measures as she makes affordable housing a focus of her final year in office.
But Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said at a Tuesday press conference that cities are already finding creative ways to make housing construction easier and more affordable. “These are the things that we deal with every day, but we need the state's help,” he said. “We don't need preemption, but we need partnership and funding support.”
Schor said those touting zoning preemption laws are also ignoring other major forces limiting new affordable housing, like labor shortages and higher interest rates and construction material costs. “Zoning is not just red tape,” he said. “It's a tool we use to ensure that growth is sustainable, that our roads and sewers can handle new density, [and] that our communities evolve in a way that respects the residents who call them home.”
Bills introduced in the state House, with bipartisan support, would preempt local decision-making on some zoning issues, including multi-unit housing like duplexes, lot sizes, and dwelling sizes, among other things. Local officials say that would strip them of some key decision-making powers, limit resident involvement in planning, and force a one-size-fits all approach on diverse communities.
Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett compared the idea to cutting off an arm in order to lose weight — it will do more harm than good. Barnett, a Republican, said it’s an issue of rare bipartisan consensus among local elected leaders.
“It's not good for democracy. It's not good for any Michigander listening today,” Barnett said. “Preemption does not lead to greater affordability.”
