YPSILANTI, Mich. – Many Ypsilanti residents cite affordable housing as a major concern.
“It is definitely a problem, and it needs to be solved immediately because I don’t want to move,” Ypsilanti resident Patricia Tabb said.
The long-time Ypsilanti resident is worried that she could be priced out of the city due to rising housing costs.
“I am just afraid when that price raises for me because I’m a renter,” Tabb said.
Other residents share her concerns.
“You can look around and see the homeless population,” Ypsilanti resident Karen Hayno-Steele said.
2020 U.S. Census data revealed that most Ypsilanti residents are renters with a median income of $41,914.
According to Rent.com data, the average rent for apartments in Ypsilanti is currently between $1,009 and $1,139.
“Affordable housing is a big issue in this city, the county, the state, and really the nationwide,” Ypsilanti City Manager Andrew Hellenga said.
He said the city is making progress on affordable housing.
Two parallel housing developments are under construction on Clark Road, bringing a few hundred affordable apartments for seniors and families.
The Avalon Housing Project will bring about two dozen units on Washington Street.
The Dorsey Estates will make becoming a homeowner more affordable in Ypsilanti.
According to Renovare Development, half of the 46 units will be set aside for people with incomes between 40 and 80% of the area median.
“We have units set aside also for middle income. We will have market-rate units. But most importantly, we will have a plethora of tools available for mortgage financing and downpayment assistance,” Renovare Development Managing Partner Shannon Morgan said.
Morgan said the first units in Dorsey Estates will be online in late summer or early fall.
There will be a lottery for potential buyers this summer.
Hellenga said he’s excited about the affordable housing projects in Ypsilanti.
“We really want to make the city welcoming for everyone, but it does come with challenges,” he said.
Building more affordable housing comes with costs.
“It is very difficult because payment in lieu of taxes, we are essentially forgoing tax revenue to provide housing. So, it really makes it more difficult to provide services, especially with a stretched-thin budget,” Hellenga said.
Local 4 News is getting out of the studio and hitting the road to be In Your Neighborhood! We’re showcasing what makes our communities great!
---> More In Your Neighborhood feature stories
---> In Your Neighborhood: Which Metro Detroit community should we visit next?