DETROIT, Mich. – A coalition of civil rights organizations fighting to end water shutoffs in Detroit and ensure water is affordable to city residents had the following response to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order issued today that extends the moratorium on water shutoffs to the end of the year.
“While the Governor’s executive order extends needed temporary relief for Detroiters, it does not solve the underlying problem at the heart of the water shutoff crisis. Detroit residents need permanent relief from the excessively high water rates and longstanding water shutoff policy that disproportionately expose thousands of Black families to avoidable health risks, especially during a pandemic. For years, residents and health experts have been calling for a water affordability plan that provides real relief. Today’s announcement does not do that. We call on the Governor to work on a long-term solution that charges residents according to their income and ends this dangerous cycle of water insecurity.”
Civil Rights organizations include the ACLU of Michigan, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., and Edwards & Jennings, P.C.
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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.
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