Title
Resolution to Allocate Funds for Shelter Diversion, Eviction Prevention, and Programming in Under-Resourced Communities
Body
Whereas, The impacts of the current federal administration are falling hardest on members of our under-resourced communities due to reduced support for established safety net programs; (1*)
Whereas, Resolution R-24-449 was approved by City Council on December 16, 2024 that allocated funding for impacts at the local level due to the change in the federal government administration;
Whereas, The Shelter Association of Washtenaw County and SOS Community Services are collaborating on a pilot Shelter Diversion program (2*) that faces a $140,000.00 gap compared to prior year funding;
Whereas, Shelter Diversion is an intensive case management program for those who wish to end their homelessness experience without a shelter stay (3*), is successful at finding immediate housing solutions, and should continue to be fully funded;
Whereas, Community Action Network (CAN) is achieving positive outcomes for low-income youth: CAN students attend 19 more days of school per student, per year compared to their economic peers at AAPS (2024) and attend 11 more days of school per student, per year compared to all AAPS students (2024); (4*)
Whereas, The loss of AmeriCorps funding due to federal administration cuts has forced CAN to terminate $130,000.00 worth of summer volunteer labor and lose a $45,000.00 federal grant; (5*)
Whereas, CAN reports that $100,000.00 will help stabilize their summer programming;
Whereas, Keeping individuals and families housed through Eviction Prevention is of the utmost importance during this period of inflated prices and reduced federal support to agencies helping people once they have entered homelessness;
Whereas, The Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation has distributed Eviction Prevention funds effectively, providing support to 455 households between March 7, 2023 and September 16, 2024, with disbursements covering 94% of total past due rent owed by all applicants; (6*) and
Whereas, The depth of need among providers of housing, homelessness, and low-income services due to threats to HUD and FEMA budgets, alongside other federal grant cancellations, means that available City FY25 funds will not be able to fill gaps at all organizations;
RESOLVED, That City Council allocates $400,000.00 of the funding allocated under R-24-449 for negative impacts at the local level due to change in federal government administration to the following initiatives:
● $140,000.00 to Shelter Association of Washtenaw County (SAWC) and SOS Community Services to fill gaps in funding for Shelter Diversion;
● $100,000.00 to Community Action Network (CAN) to prevent cancellation of summer programming due to federal cuts;
● $160,000.00 to Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation (AAHDC) for Eviction Prevention;
RESOLVED, That City Council directs the City Administrator to distribute the funds to SAWC, SOS, CAN, and AAHDC, and that subsequent to the distribution, these organizations and the City will enter into Grant Agreements detailing the reporting mechanism for how the funds are to be distributed;
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator be authorized to take necessary administrative actions to implement this resolution; and
RESOLVED, That the amounts authorized herein may be used without regard to fiscal year;
Sponsored by: Councilmembers Watson, Ghazi Edwin, Cornell, Harrison, Briggs, Disch, and Radina
1* Rappeport, A. and Romm, T. (2025, April 25) Trump Budget to Take Ax to ‘Radical’ Safety Net Programs. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/25/us/politics/trump-budget-cuts.html
2* MSHDA. (2023, June 30) MSHDA unveils two-year Shelter Diversion Pilot Program, awards grants to six community partners. [Press Release]
https://www.michigan.gov/mshda/about/press-releases/2023/06/30/mshda-unveils-two-year-shelter-diversion-pilot-program-awards-grants-to-six-community-partners
3* Shelter Association of Washtenaw County. (2023) Non-Residential/Shelter Diversion.
https://www.annarborshelter.org/non-residential-shelter-diversion
4* Community Action Network. (2025) CAN at a Glance. https://www.canwashtenaw.org/
5* Longoria, A. (2025, April 29) Community Action Network to lose AmeriCorps grant due to cuts. WEMU. https://www.wemu.org/wemu-news/2025-04-29/community-action-network-to-lose-americorps-grant-due-to-cuts
6* Ann Arbor Housing Commission. (2025, February 18) Eviction Prevention Program Reports. https://a2gov.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13735327&GUID=16546AED-62FE-463A-B60E-11365B769809