Flint, Michigan–Today the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) hosted a hearing allowing for public comment on the proposed water rate hike. Communities from across the State of Michigan, particularly the most representation from Detroit and Flint, all expressed opposition to this immoral rate increase. Young, Gifted & Green, a national civil rights and environmental justice organization, stands in solidarity with Detroit and Flint in firm opposition to the proposed water rate increase by GLWA. We refuse to accept a reality where water, the very essence of life, is treated as a luxury for few rather than a right for all.

Water Affordability is Reproductive Justice

The fight for affordable water is a fight for Reproductive and Environmental Justice. As defined by the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, this framework asserts the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy and the right to parent children in safe and healthy environments (Ross & Solinger, 2017). You cannot parent in safety when your taps are dry due to potential cut-offs. Water affordability is a direct measure of maternal health. When rates rise, the resulting “toxic stress” and economic instability contribute to the alarming maternal mortality rates and adverse birth outcomes in Black and Brown communities like Detroit and Detroit. From mixing baby formula to postpartum hygiene, water is a medical and parental necessity. To price a mother out of her water is a violation of her human and reproductive rights.

The Unresolved Legacy of Flint

The world often speaks of the Flint Water Crisis in the past tense. We know better. After nearly fourteen years, the crisis is not resolved. Thousands of children continue to navigate the long-term cognitive and physical impacts of lead exposure, and the trust between the people and the state remains shattered. The proposed GLWA rate hike mirrors the same systemic disregard for vulnerable populations that led to the Flint disaster. We cannot continue to prioritize infrastructure revenue over the lives of the people that infrastructure is meant to serve. (Source: Michigan Civil Rights Commission Report on Systemic Racism).

A Crisis of Accountability and Federal Funding

Our opposition is also driven by a profound lack of transparency regarding federal funding. Since the Obama administration, significant federal resources—including the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act of 2016—were promised to Michigan (specifically to Flint) to ensure safe, affordable drinking water.

However, history shows that these funds have not been allocated with fidelity. A scathing report from the EPA Office of Inspector General (Report No. 18-P-0221) confirmed that “management weaknesses” and a lack of oversight at multiple levels of government allowed the Flint crisis to spiral and persist despite federal intervention.

Before the GLWA asks for another cent from struggling households, we demand a full, independent audit of how previous federal windfalls, including ARPA funds, have been utilized. We will not allow families to be double-charged for infrastructure that the government has already been paid to fix.

The Economic Toll on Our Youth

According to research from Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan, water remains fundamentally unaffordable for a significant portion of low-income households in Michigan. When water costs rise, families are forced into impossible choices: water or heat? Water or groceries? For the youth we serve, these hikes lead to the destabilization of the home, the threat of water shutoffs, and the potential for trauma-inducing interventions by Child Protective Services. This is not just an economic issue; it is a civil rights crisis.

Our Demand

Young, Gifted & Green calls on the GLWA Board to:

1. Reject the proposed rate hike immediately.
2. Implement a permanent, income-based water affordability plan that ensures no family pays more than 2-3% of their household income for water.
3. Provide total fiscal transparency regarding the allocation of federal infrastructure funds dating back to 2016.

We will not be silent while frontline communities are priced out of their right to affordable, clean water.

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Sources:

• Reproductive Justice Framework: SisterSong Definition and Ross & Solinger (2017) “Reproductive Justice: An Introduction”.
• Systemic Racism in Water Policy: Michigan Civil Rights Commission: “The Flint Water Crisis: Systemic Racism Through the Lens of Flint”.
• Federal Oversight Failures: EPA Office of Inspector General Report No. 18-P-0221.
• Federal Funding (Obama Era): EPA Summary of the WIIN Act of 2016.
• Economic Impact Data: University of Michigan Poverty Solutions: “Water Affordability in Michigan”.