by Aurelia Tran

Food insecurity. Limited healthcare access. Social exclusion. As the newly elected politicians take office after the 2026 midterms, financially-strained individuals in Michigan are confronted with two possibilities: being able to turn their lives around with more opportunities and support, or being presented with more government-made financial obstacles.

Families all around the state are struggling to make ends meet, and housing costs are a top concern. A 2025 housing report identifies the Fair Market Rent (FMR) as $1,272 for a two-bedroom apartment, meaning that a household must earn close to $51,000 to afford this level of rent without spending more than 30% of their income on housing. Yet, 34.1% (around 1.39 million) of Michigan households make under $50,000. It is imperative that we make housing more accessible to get people off the streets, for families to flourish, and for communities to thrive. So who is going to help with this?

“I'm really going to be focusing my time, my effort on tearing down barriers … and making sure that we can get back to affordability, particularly in housing,” said Republican gubernatorial candidate John James during a campaign tour of a southwest Pontiac neighborhood. But is that really true?

James’ legislative proposal, the Path to Affordable Homes Act, centers strongly around cutting building and energy-efficiency regulations rather than addressing core market drivers—such as corporate and private-equity home purchases, high interest rates, or stagnant wages. This doesn’t ensure lower prices for families buying or renting; it simply allows for homes to be built with less efficient insulation, windows, and heating/cooling systems, thus augmenting the cost of utility bills. Michiganders deserve a solution that is more than deceptive.

But what’s worse than showing up with a bad idea is not truly showing up at all. Throughout his term as the U.S. representative for Michigan’s 10th congressional district, James has missed 4.3% (73) of roll call votes—including the vote on a bipartisan housing bill that would lower home prices by expanding manufactured and affordable housing, speeding up homebuilding, and amplifying the lending powers of community banks. This record of incompetence was the highest missed vote percentage within Michigan's congressional delegation during that timeframe, and double the 2.1% median lifetime absence rate for currently serving members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

What he has shown up for, though, has done nothing but hurt Americans. In February, James voted to protect Trump’s tariffs, and then in June, he voted in support of Trump’s Iran War.

The former has and will continue to heighten building costs—potentially by over $17,000 per home in the forthcoming years. Jobs in the residential construction industry fell by around 60,000; by Dec. 2025, housing starts (the annual rate of housing permits and new home construction projects breaking ground) were reduced by over 100,000 homes, compared to the year before. This has resulted in higher rental costs and home prices for families.

Before the latter occurred, the housing market was expected to favor buyers, with dwindling home price gains and more houses for sale. The war disrupted the housing market as surging mortgage rates decreased buyer demand. Now, as of early November, the average rate on the 30-year fixed loan is 7.25%, remarkably higher than the 5.99% it was before the strikes began. Paired with the staticity of wages, Americans are left with minimal purchasing power that can hardly afford them basic shelter.

With John James as governor, the people of Michigan will be in peril of facing even worse conditions. James has shown time after time that he is not for the working class; he doesn’t care whether you can afford food, healthcare, or even a place to live in.

Jocelyn Benson, the opposing Democratic candidate, has differing plans that start with providing support through expanded tax credit for homeowners, renters, and first-time home buyers. Her agenda includes statewide systems to track housing data and give communities control over short-term rentals, limits on the sale of homes within their first 100 days on the market to private-equity firms and large investors, and commitments to making it easier to build homes faster and more energy efficient. This is a far more comprehensive approach than James’ band-aid solution.

Michiganders are guaranteed a leader who will serve them and put money back in their pockets when Benson is governor. She will work to ensure every family has a place to call home, and unlike James, she will show up with the right ideas, ones made for the people.