Affordable Housing

Ann Arbor’s housing costs are rapidly growing, placing it among one of the most expensive places to reside in Michigan. As more students attend the University, more families and permanent residents of the city are being pushed out of their homes by rising rent costs.

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More housing has been built in Ann Arbor, but instead of affordable developments, much of the money has been poured into building luxury high-rise apartments that will largely serve the student population. Higher prices for permanent residents push locals, their businesses, and the labor populations out of Ann Arbor, presenting a huge problem for future growth of small businesses in the community. 

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These higher rent rates cause people to move into surrounding communities with lower rent, such as Ypsilanti, which effectively starts the cycle over again, raising rent higher and higher each year. Housing is a human right, and we are done waiting for our government to recognize this.

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As seen by ongoing activism from many groups in the community, as well as the large turnout for the housing march in November, it’s clear that the people of MI-12 are also done waiting.

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Affordable housing has been under attack for years, but Donald Trump has worsened this problem by proposing a $9.6 billion cut on affordable housing programs.

 

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Here’s what we can do to fix our housing problem, at a national and local level. Done Waiting supports:

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  • Repealing the Faircloth Amendment so that the government can start building new sustainable public housing communities.

  • Any policy to create robust, economically and ecologically sustainable public housing in our community.

    • Green New Deal for Public Housing Act.

  • Improving the Fair Housing Act, because no family should have to choose between groceries, health care, or paying their rent.

  • Requiring landlords to issue ‘just cause’ before an eviction in order to allow for a more fair process. 

  • A 3% cap on the increase of rent prices each year, both for business fronts and residential housing.

    • This will also help discourage gentrification in communities of color.

  • Pouring more resources into Section 8 vouchers in order to eliminate the waitlist for all eligible families.

  • Working with local advocacy groups and the homeless populations in order to create policies that work for the community.

  • Blocking any laws that prohibit homelessness or defund homeless programs.

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