Title
Resolution to Establish Priorities for Affordable Housing Portion of Community Mental Health and Public Safety Preservation Millage
Memorandum
City Council Resolution R-17-261 was approved in order to notify the public about how the City of Ann Arbor intended to use the millage rebate funds from the Community Mental Health and Public Safety Preservation Millage, as required by law. City Council notified the public that 40% of the annual millage would be used to "effect the goals of the Affordable Housing Needs Assessment (a/k/a 2015 Washtenaw County Housing Affordability and Economic Equity Analysis) and to increase Workforce Housing (operating & Capital) with guidance by the Housing and Human Services Advisory Board", hereafter referred to as the "affordable housing portion of the millage".
The Affordable Housing Needs Assessment highlighted the disparity in housing markets between properties in Ann Arbor and with Ann Arbor addresses compared to properties in Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township, which is causing an imbalanced housing market & socio-economic segregation.
The study recommends a multi-faceted strategy to increase market and below-market rate housing in Washtenaw County. The study recommends that Ann Arbor "focus its attention on the preservation and production of affordable non-student rental housing for low and moderate-income workers who are helping to keep so much of the Ann Arbor economy vibrant". The recommended strategies included incentive-based zoning, brownfield financing for mixed-income housing, tax incentives, and dedicated funding for the Affordable Housing Fund, and use of Affordable Housing Fund and HUD programs to incentivize below-market rate housing.
The Housing and Human Services Advisory Board met at their regular meeting on February 8, 2017 and made a recommendation to City Council regarding the use of the affordable housing portion of the millage. In order to serve the needs of low-wage earners, the Housing and Hum...
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