Title
Resolution to Create the Ann Arbor Renters Commission
Body
Whereas, City Council has identified housing stability, affordability, and accessibility for all members of the Ann Arbor community as a key priority;
Whereas, A majority of residents of Ann Arbor are renters, with 53.3% of housing units being rentals according to 2019 American Community Survey estimates;
Whereas, 52.6% of rental households in Ann Arbor are paying 30% or more of their gross income in rent according to 2019 American Community Survey estimates;
Whereas, According to the most recent (2015) U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis, the rental market for Ann Arbor is “tight” with “demand expected to slightly increase each year because of continued job growth and in-migration;”
Whereas, According to the 2020 Housing Needs Assessment report for downtown Ann Arbor published by Bowen National Research, renters represented 76.7% of downtown households and are expected to increase over 4% in the downtown area between 2020 and 2025 and almost 2% in other areas of the City;
Whereas, City Council wishes to create a commission where stakeholders can discuss issues relating to renters and advise City Council regarding policies, practices, trends, and legislation; and
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor is committed to developing, implementing, and advancing a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program;
RESOLVED, That the Ann Arbor City Council hereby creates the Ann Arbor Renters Commission:
Membership
a. The commission shall have 11 voting members appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the City Council and appointed to two-year terms, which shall be staggered so that approximately one half of the terms expire each year.
b. The voting membership of the commission should be representative of various renter perspectives in the City, such as student, youth, low-income, LGBTQ, immigrant, persons with criminal records, persons receiving rental subsidies, cooperative or group housing, tenant advocacy groups, persons who have experienced homelessness, or historically underrepresented groups.
c. The voting membership of the commission should include at least one attorney with experience representing renters or advocating for renters’ interests.
d. The commission shall have two nonvoting members who are representatives from the City Council, appointed by the City Council.
e. The commission shall have no more than two nonvoting members who are representative of different landlord perspectives in the City, such as individual, corporate, student-focused, single family or duplex, or large apartment landlords.
f. The Ann Arbor Housing and Human Services Advisory Board shall designate a nonvoting liaison (and may designate alternates) to attend and participate in commission meetings.
g. The University of Michigan may designate a nonvoting liaison (and may designate alternates) from Student Legal Services or another representative with knowledge of student housing issues to attend and participate in commission meetings.
Purpose. The commission’s purpose is to advise the City Council and City Administrator on matters affecting renters in the City. The commission shall:
a. Monitor and evaluate trends in rental housing in the City using available statistical data and broad-based input from the Ann Arbor community, including renters and property owners.
b. Propose, evaluate, recommend, and respond to policies, practices, or laws that affect renters in the City, including, but not limited to: housing affordability, transportation access, land use, public health and safety, and economic development.
c. Monitor the enforcement and effectiveness of City legislation related to renters and renter protections, and provide periodic advice on priorities and strategies for strengthening enforcement and effectiveness of City renter protections.
d. Solicit input from stakeholders, such as landlords, renters, homeowners, realtors, and community groups, regarding proposed policies, practices, laws, recommendations, and other matters under consideration by the commission.
e. Communicate regularly and work with other City boards and commissions and staff when considering or proposing to consider matters affecting renters that overlap with the purposes of those boards and commissions.
f. Consult with the City Attorney’s Office as early as possible regarding proposed legislation and other legal matters within the commission’s purpose.
g. Consult with the City’s Rental Housing Services Unit, through the City Administrator’s designated commission staff liaison, when considering or proposing to consider matters related to rental housing inspections, code enforcement, or other matters within the purview of the City’s Rental Housing Services Unit.
h. Upon creation of the commission, and annually thereafter, work with the City Administrator or their designated staff liaison to create and submit to City Council a work plan outlining and prioritizing matters the commission expects to consider in the upcoming year; and at the end of each work plan year, submit an annual report to City Council detailing the matters considered by the commission in the previous year;
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator shall designate staff support for the Renters Commission and take all necessary action to implement the Renters Commission in accordance with this resolution and applicable City policies; and
RESOLVED, The City Administrator is directed to ensure that the work of the Rental Commission is done in coordination with the city’s DEI program, as appropriate.
Sponsored by: Councilmembers Radina, Disch, Briggs, Griswold, and Mayor Taylor
As Amended and Approved by Ann Arbor City Council on September 20, 2021.