Updates on Affordable Housing in Washtenaw County

This May marks the one-year anniversary of Avalon Housing moving in tenants exiting from homelessness into permanent housing at their new Hickory Way Apartments. Thanks to the incredible efforts by HouseN2Home, these units are fully furnished and beautiful. Once Avalon moves in its third and final phase of tenants, Hickory Way will be the site of 70 new affordable housing units.

Fortunately, there is more exciting affordable housing news to share! Hilltop View Apartments in Dexter is expected to welcome its first tenants this month. This complex will have 24 new affordable housing units. Faith In Action will be the local community organization leading essential support services at the complex, including a food pantry and an on-site social worker. Look out on social media for us to share when move-in day happens.

In January, it was announced that Ann Arbor Housing Commission (AAHC) selected Avalon Housing to co-develop a 68-unit multi-use, affordable housing development at 121 East Catherine Street in Ann Arbor. Construction is anticipated to start in 2024 and be completed in 2025. This project comes at a time AAHC has seen tremendous growth in its affordable housing programs. In total, AAHC is looking to fund five projects from the City of Ann Arbor’s affordable housing millage, which voters passed in November 2020.

Recently, AAHC presented at the City of Ann Arbor’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Planning Overview. They shared about pipeline projects, including for tenant support services, and what is needed to support these affordable housing initiatives. City Council will vote on the 2022-23 budget in May.

One of the AAHC’s pipeline projects, mixed-income affordable housing at 350 South Fifth Street (known as the Old Y-Lot), had its first City Council reading for re-zoning on March 7th. A public hearing on this project will be held at a later date.

Finally, the City of Ypsilanti’s Planning Commission approved last month to proceed with plans for a family and senior affordable housing development at 845-945 West Clark Road in Ypsilanti. The Planning Commission also gave its recommendation for Ypsilanti City Council to approve. The city has formed a Community Benefits Ad Hoc Committee to give feedback on the project, which is happening now. The proposed project is slated to add 304 units of new affordable housing.

We are still waiting for Ann Arbor City Council to vote to approve how to allocate American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The Interim City Administrator’s Office has submitted a memo on ARPA Public Engagement Results and Final Recommendations to the Mayor and City Council. Human and social services as well as affordable housing projects were listed. The WHA is hopeful these projects will have funding allocated. However, it is still helpful for WHA members, partners, and affordable housing advocates to contact City Council to remind them how important allocation of funds for these projects is to our community. Click here for details on how to contact City Council members and let them know you support the staff recommendations for ARPA funding.

It is exciting that these new development projects focus on affordable housing, and some will provide permanent supportive housing, modeling a "housing first" approach. But we need to keep in mind that there are some gaps that are still affecting so many living in our county. For example, Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County is currently resettling people from Afghanistan who many times need affordable housing for larger family sizes. And some of our affordable housing programs are not available to those undocumented, which continues to force people into precarious living situations.

Stay up to date on affordable housing projects in the county. Visit the Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development’s Affordable Housing Dashboard at http://bit.ly/WashtenawAffordableHousing. And, follow the Ann Arbor Housing Commission on social media. Search for them on Facebook @a2housingcommission and Twitter @a2housing.

The Washtenaw County Affordable Housing Dashboard shows data for Current Affordable Housing Units, New Units, Lost Units, and Planned Units in the county. The Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED) continues to update and refine the dashboard on an ongoing basis.