Legislative Analysis
Phone: (517) 373-8080
HOMELESS BILL OF RIGHTS
http://www.house.mi.gov/hfa
House Bill 4919 as introduced Analysis available at
Sponsor: Rep. Emily E. Dievendorf http://www.legislature.mi.gov
Committee: Economic Development
and Small Business [Discharged]
Complete to 12-13-24
SUMMARY:
House Bill 4919 would create the Bill of Rights for the Homeless Act, which would provide
that homeless individuals must be granted the same rights and privileges as any other citizen
in Michigan and would prohibit the denial or abridgment of an individual’s rights, privileges,
or access to public services solely because the individual is, or is perceived to be, homeless.
The act would state that it is the long-standing policy of the state of Michigan that an individual
should not suffer unnecessarily due to cold or hunger, be deprived of shelter or the basic rights
incident to shelter, or be subject to discrimination based on their homelessness. It would further
add that many individuals are homeless due to economic hardship, a severe shortage of safe
and affordable housing, and a shrinking social safety net. It would additionally state that youths
between 13 and 15 years of age and young adults between 16 and 23 years of age particularly
suffer from deprivation due to homelessness or the perception that they are homeless.
Accordingly, the act would declare its intent to lessen the adverse effects and conditions caused
by homelessness.
An individual experiencing homelessness would have the following rights:
• The right to move freely in public spaces in the same manner as any other individual
without discrimination based on the individual’s housing status.
• The right to equal treatment by all state and municipal agencies without discrimination
based on the individual’s housing status.
• The right to freedom from employment discrimination because the individual lacks a
permanent mailing address or has a mailing address that is a shelter or social service
provider.
• The right to emergency medical care without discrimination based on the individual’s
housing status.
• The right to vote, register to vote, and receive necessary documentation to prove
identity for the purpose of voting without discrimination based on the individual’s
housing status, if an individual is a United States citizen.
• The right to protection from disclosure of the individual’s records or information
provided to a homeless shelter or social service provider to state, municipal, or private
entities without appropriate legal authority.
• The right to confidentiality of personal records and information in accordance with all
disclosure limitations established by requirements under a federal Homeless
Management Information System (HMIS), the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA), or the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
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 • The right to a reasonable expectation of privacy in the individual’s personal property
to the same extent as personal property in a permanent residence.
• The right for a homeless youth to be enrolled in school without discrimination or delay
based on the youth’s housing status.
Housing status would mean the status of having or not having a fixed or regular
residence, including living on the streets, in a shelter, or in a temporary residence.
A prevailing plaintiff in a civil action that alleges a violation of the act would be eligible to
receive appropriate injunctive and declaratory relief, actual damages, and reasonable attorney
fees and costs.
The bill would go into effect 90 days after it is enacted.
BACKGROUND:
As of 2022, 1 Rhode Island, Connecticut, Illinois, and Puerto Rico have enacted a Homeless
Bill of Rights, many of which are substantively similar to House Bill 4919.
BRIEF DISCUSSION:
According to testimony before the Economic Development and Small Business Subcommittee
on Housing, House Bill 4919 is intended to establish a baseline standard for how people should
be treated regardless of their housing status and to provide protections for currently existing
rights that are often denied to homeless people. Supporters of the bill argue that the legislation
would help end discrimination against a community’s homeless population, and the civil
penalties would provide a mechanism for accountability when an individual is unable to access
the resources that they need. Supporters also argue that the bill would not prohibit local
governments from taking action to address homeless encampments.
No arguments opposing House Bill 4919 were raised during subcommittee testimony, but
concerns were raised about the necessity of the bill if it would not expand any current rights.
FISCAL IMPACT:
House Bill 4919 would have an indeterminate fiscal impact on local court funding units. The
fiscal impact would depend on the number of individuals seeking relief through civil actions
filed with the courts alleging violations under the bill.
The bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact on the Department of Labor and Economic
Opportunity and on local units of government. It is unclear at this time whether the bill's
provisions would increase costs to the department or to local governmental units.
1
Invisible People, an organization that advocates for policies addressing homelessness, tracks states that have a
Homeless Bill of Rights: https://invisiblepeople.tv/what-is-a-homeless-bill-of-rights-and-which-states-have-them/.
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POSITIONS:
Representatives of the following entities testified in support of the bill:
• Angel’s Hands Community Outreach (9-28-23)
• Capital Region Housing Collaborative (9-28-23)
• Cardboard Prophets (9-28-23)
• For Our Future (9-28-23)
• Haven House (9-28-23)
• Nation Outside (9-28-23)
• Rent is Too Damn High (10-5-23)
• SDIA Homeless Outreach (9-28-23)
The following entities indicated support for the bill:
• Fund MI Future (10-5-23)
• Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness (11-14-24)
• Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (9-28-23)
• Michigan League for Public Policy (9-28-23)
• Michigan Poverty Law Program (11-14-24)
• NorthWest Initiative Advocacy, Re-entry, Resources, and Outreach (10-5-23)
The following entities indicated opposition to the bill (11-14-24):
• City of Wyoming
• National Federation of Independent Business
Legislative Analyst: Holly Kuhn
Fiscal Analysts: Robin Risko
Viola Bay Wild
■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency staff for use by House members in their
deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.
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