ANN ARBOR, Mich. Ann Arbor voters will decide whether to raise millions of dollars through a new property tax to build or acquire housing for people with certain incomes. Ann Arbor, the home of the University of Michigan, has one of the strongest economies in Michigan, although that also means higher housing costs compared to other communities. Council member Zachary Ackerman, a Democrat, said the millage could keep service workers and public employees in Ann Arbor. It would get unhealthy.Council member Jack Eaton, a Democrat, said rents could increase if the millage passes and landlords pass the tax to tenants. We need to be careful not to create a community where only the very wealthy and those eligible for housing subsidies can afford to live, Eaton said.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. A poll commissioned by the Partners of Affording Housing, a coalition of nonprofit organizations and citizens, suggests that voters in Ann Arbor would support a proposed millage to fund more affordable housing. In its release, Partners for Affordable Housing pointed to a decline in affordable housing around Washtenaw County as private developers have converted properties away from affordable housing. Ann Arbor City Council members Chip Smith and Elizabeth Nelson plan to present a resolution to the Ann Arbor City Council for a November 2020 ballot proposal seeking voter approval for the millage. The poll was funded by a grant given by the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation to the Washtenaw Housing Alliance. Partners of Affordable Housing is a coalition of individuals and nonprofit organizations interested in a millage to support affordable housing so as to help the city achieve affordable housing goals.