Title
Resolution to Dissolve the Housing and Human Services Advisory Board and Amend the Ann Arbor Affordable Housing Fund Guidelines
Memorandum
Staff are recommending the dissolution of the Housing and Human Services Advisory Board (HHSAB) and amending the Ann Arbor Affordable Housing Fund (AAAHF) Guidelines to remove the HHSAB and Washtenaw County Office of Community and Economic Development from the process.
The City of Ann Arbor’s Community Development Department merged with Washtenaw County’s Office of Community and Economic Development in 2005. At the time, the City had several advisory boards, including the Human Services Advisory Board, the Housing Policy Board and the HUD Waiver and Review Board that were supported by City of Ann Arbor staff. Over time, these boards changed and were supported by Washtenaw County OCED staff. In 2007, the Human Services and Housing Policy boards merged to form the Housing and Human Services Advisory Board (HHSAB). The purpose of the merged board was to develop policy recommendations for City Council regarding affordable housing and human service issues and to make recommendations to City Council related to human services general funds and federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for nonprofit agencies and HOME and Ann Arbor Affordable Housing Fund funds for housing studies and housing development related activities.
The function of the HHSAB and its predecessor boards have evolved over time. Since 2009 the functions related to CDBG and HOME are now the responsibility of the Washtenaw Urban County Executive Committee, which includes a member from the City of Ann Arbor along with 20 other local governments, with the Washtenaw County OCED serving as the lead administrative agency for these HUD funds. Likewise, the City’s general funds for human services, previously known as Coordinated Funding, and now known as the New Human Services Partnership, is administered by County OCED staff with funding allocations approved by Ann Arbor City Council.
Another function of the HHSAB is to make funding recommendations to City Council for Ann Arbor Affordable Housing Fund (AAAHF) based on rolling applications and competitive Requests for Proposals. The AAAHF has not had sufficient funding to issue a RFP since 2019. The current balance is $169,000. However, in anticipation of approximately $20 million dollars being paid into the AAAHF through contributions in-lieu of units by private developers in the near future, the HHSAB performed a comprehensive review of existing AAAHF policies resulting in recommended policy revisions that were approved by City Council (R-24-252) on June 18, 2024.
The Ann Arbor Housing Commission, through its nonprofit, the Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation, also issues RFP’s for the affordable housing millage that was approved in 2020 for affordable housing developments and related services. Voters approved a 20-year affordable housing millage to increase the supply of permanently affordable housing units for those at or below 60 percent of the Area Median Income. In June 2023, City Council passed Resolution R-23-207 to approve the Ann Arbor Affordable Housing Millage Fund Grant Agreement between the City of Ann Arbor, the Ann Arbor Housing Commission (AAHC), and the Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation (AAHDC) with a stated goal of reducing duplicative processes and cost for AAHC and AAHDC’s to create City-owned and operated affordable housing units.
The HHSAB and staff concluded that it would be more practical and cost-effective to move the funding recommendations with respect to the AAAHF from the Washtenaw County OCED to the Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation, to streamline the City’s ability to leverage the AAAHF and affordable housing millage dollars for the financing of new affordable housing projects by qualified affordable housing developers.
The dissolution of the HHSAB was discussed with City and County staff involved in affordable housing and human services and the City Council liaisons to the HHSAB. On February 13, 2025, HHSAB members in attendance voted unanimously (7-0) in favor of staff’s recommendation for City Council to take action to formally dissolve the HHSAB, acknowledging the valuable contributions the body has made since its formation in 2007, and with the understanding that many board members will seek out other opportunities to continue their advocacy around affordable housing and human services for Ann Arbor. In addition, two (2) of the four (4) members absent from the February 13th meeting subsequently reached out to OCED staff to express their support for the resolution.
Mechanisms for meaningful citizen input on Ann Arbor’s housing and human service needs are plentiful through a number of other public boards and committees including but not limited to the Ann Arbor Renters Commission, Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission, Ann Arbor Housing Commission, Washtenaw County Community Action Board, Washtenaw County Continuum of Care, and Washtenaw Urban County Executive Committee. These entities hold public meetings, allowing opportunity for regular citizen participation through public comment, and some of these entities have current or upcoming openings that HHSAB members can apply for.
Staff
Prepared by: Derek Delacourt, Community Services Area Administrator
Reviewed by: Marti Praschan, Chief Financial Officer
Approved by: Milton Dohoney Jr., City Administrator
Body
Whereas, The Housing and Human Services Advisory Board (HHSAB) has historically served an important role to advance affordable housing policies and related services funding at the City;
Whereas, The functions of the HHSAB have evolved and dispersed to other City and County boards; and
Whereas, Because the Ann Arbor Housing Commission, through its nonprofit Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation performs a similar function administering the Affordable Housing Millage, County Mental Health Millage funds, and Marijuana Rebate funds, it is more efficient to move the Ann Arbor Affordable Housing Fund administration from the County Office of Community and Economic Development and the HHSAB to the Ann Arbor Housing Commission and the Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation;
RESOLVED, That the City of Ann Arbor Housing and Human Services Advisory Board, as restated in City Council Resolution R-20-414, is hereby dissolved;
RESOLVED, That City Council approves the attached amended Ann Arbor Affordable Housing Fund Guidelines;
RESOLVED, That funds in the Ann Arbor Affordable Housing Fund will remain with the City, to be appropriated by City Council by separate resolutions for specific projects or programs with appropriate grant agreements or other agreements governing fund disbursements; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator is authorized to take all appropriate actions to implement this resolution.