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FHC’s founding Executive Director retires after 33 years
Pam Kisch, who founded the Fair Housing Center in 1992, retired after more than 33 years with the organization.
Pam was a force in the fight for fair housing. She dedicated her career to ending housing discrimination, and her work impacted hundreds of thousands of Michiganders.
As Executive Director, Pam not only kept the day-to-day operations of the FHC running smoothly, but also put her boots on the ground to advocate for individuals and families.
Under Pam’s leadership, the FHC aided in the filing of over 100 lawsuits, with total settlements for complainants exceeding $3.5 million. Her work helped ensure that residents of Southeast and Mid Michigan were not illegally denied housing because of their race or subjected to policies that made it more difficult for people of color to access the same opportunities as white community members. Each lawsuit, each policy change, each successful request for reasonable accommodation for a person with a disability—these actions not only impacted individual complainants, but also had a ripple effect to create new, equitable housing opportunities for our communities’ most disenfranchised residents.
In fall 2025, the FHC Board of Directors appointed Kristen Cuhran as the organization’s second-ever Executive Director. Kristen joined the staff full-time in 2006 and has held every program position. Kristen recently spoke to WEMU’s David Fair; you can listen at tinyurl.com/KristenOnWEMU.
Pam—from all of us at the FHC: thank you for everything you have done to build a more equitable and inclusive Michigan. We know we’re in good hands, and that’s a testament to the foundation you built. Your commitment, leadership, and expertise helped bend Michigan’s housing landscape toward a more equitable future. We miss you, wish you all the best in your next adventure, and promise to do our best to uphold your legacy through the years to come.
The FHC is a membership organization and relies on financial contributions from community members like you to keep our operations running smoothly. If you’d like to make a contribution in honor of Pam’s legacy, please consider making a donation today at fhcmichigan.org/donate. Thank you!
Case Updates
Disclaimer: It is understood that in all cases reported in this newsletter, the defendant, unless noted otherwise, denies the allegations of discrimination made by the plaintiff and, in “settled” cases, the parties have agreed to resolve the case prior to a trial on the merits.
Emotional Support Animals
A Shiawassee County man and his fiancée wanted to live together. Carter* was just a few months into his lease agreement at an apartment complex in Owosso when he attempted to add Jenny* to his lease. But Jenny’s application was denied—because she had an emotional support animal (ESA).
Carter had already been living with his own ESA, which the apartment complex said they would not permit because they were a “no pets” property. Eventually, they relented, telling Carter he could keep his own animal, but that they would not renew his lease and certainly wouldn’t add a new household member with their own ESA.
The apartment complex acted as though their “no pets” policy superseded the Federal Fair Housing Act, but no housing provider can implement a policy that unlawfully discriminates against residents or prospective tenants because of their mental/emotional disability.
Our testing revealed that the apartment manager told prospective renters that they would not accept assistance animals of any kind.
Carter and Jenny chose to work with FHC Cooperating Attorney Francyne Stacey to file a lawsuit in Federal Court. They may have lost their preferred housing, but their case settled for an undisclosed amount.
Carter and Jenny knew the law was on their side, and speaking up helped send a message to Shiawassee County and beyond—housing providers cannot use “no pets” policies to circumvent the law. Their story will open up housing opportunities for other mid-Michigan residents with ESAs.
Court: Federal
Settlement: Non-Disclosed
Landmark Source of Income Case
Megan Morse dreamed of returning to Ann Arbor, the city where she was born, to be close to her daughter and the University of Michigan Hospital, where she participates in epilepsy studies. Living with epilepsy and other disabilities, she relies on Social Security and a housing voucher to pay rent. When she applied for apartments managed by Wilson White Company, she was told that they did not accept tenants who use housing vouchers.
Our testing confirmed that Wilson White had refused to rent to people using vouchers, in violation of Ann Arbor’s Non-Discrimination Ordinance, which bans source of income discrimination. With FHC support, the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative (CRLI) at the University of Michigan Law School filed suit in Washtenaw County Circuit Court in 2023.
The court approved a settlement in April 2025 requiring Wilson White to accept vouchers, train its staff, and update its rental materials.
Megan’s courage led to the first successful lawsuit under Ann Arbor’s source of income ordinance since it was revised to specifically include Housing Choice Vouchers, a landmark victory that expanded fair housing rights for residents who rely on housing vouchers.
Court: Circuit
Settlement: Non-Disclosed
Children of Different Sexes Can Share a Bedroom
Aaron Taylor and his fiancée were building a new home and needed a place to live while construction was underway. They thought they had found it at Willows on Twin Ponds in Jackson until the property manager told them their children, a boy and a girl, could not share a bedroom.
The family contacted the Fair Housing Center, and our testing mirrored their experience. At their request, FHC staff reached out to the manager to explain that prohibiting siblings of different genders from sharing a room would violate the Fair Housing Act. The manager asked that Aaron return the next morning, promising to work with him.
But when he arrived, she again refused to rent to the family.
With FHC support, Cooperating Attorney Francyne Stacey filed suit in the U.S. Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on April 29, 2022. The case was assigned to the Honorable Linda V. Parker and later settled for an undisclosed amount.
Aaron’s persistence helped affirm that families have the right to choose how they live together without fear of discrimination.
Court: Federal
Settlement: Non-Disclosed
Disability and Aging in Place
For more than 40 years, William and Margaret Galligan called their Miller Maple Townhome in Ann Arbor home. When Mr. Galligan, 83, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and dementia, his daughter, Krista Lichterman, requested a month-to-month lease on his behalf so he could remain in hospice care at home. The property manager denied the request, even after receiving a letter from Mr. Galligan’s doctor warning that a move could endanger his life.
Desperate, Krista turned to the Fair Housing Center for help. FHC staff contacted the property’s management company and formally requested a reasonable accommodation, explaining that under fair housing law, landlords must adjust their rules to meet the needs of tenants with disabilities unless doing so is unreasonable.
When the company refused to cooperate, the FHC connected the Galligans with a cooperating attorney who filed suit in Washtenaw County Circuit Court in August 2025. The action prevented an eviction, and the family was permitted to remain in their home on a month-to-month lease.
The Galligans’ case ensured that Mr. Galligan could spend his final days in peace, surrounded by family and the home he loved.
Court: State
Settlement: Non-Monetary
Failure to Grant Reasonable Accommodation
When Carol Walton moved into Somerset Park Apartments, she provided a list of accommodations she needed to live safely: grab bars, an accessible parking space, and full access to common areas. The agent assured her these updates would be made.
They never were. In the summer of 2024, Carol fell in her bathroom and was injured. To make matters worse, around the one-year mark of her tenancy, she received a demand for possession from the property manager.
In early 2025, Carol contacted the Fair Housing Center for help with her self-filed federal case. After reviewing the details, we connected her with Cooperating Attorney Francyne Stacey, who took over representation.
The case, heard in the Western District of Michigan, was resolved in August 2025 for an undisclosed amount.
Carol’s story is a reminder that accessibility is not optional. Her determination turned an unsafe situation into lasting accountability.
Court: Federal
Settlement: Non-Disclosed