[DetroitMan]

Plans for more affordable housing in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti get state funding boost

Efforts to bring more affordable housing to Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti are getting a big boost.

The Michigan Economic Development Corp. has announced nearly $100 million in grants for projects across the state through the Revitalization and Placemaking Program.

That includes over $8 million for projects in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti under a grant application submitted by the Ann Arbor Housing Commission in partnership with others. It’s a significant amount, said Housing Commission Executive Director Jennifer Hall, though since it’s less than the $10 million they requested, they still have to figure out how the money is going to be divvied up.

The full amounts they requested were:

• $5 million for a six-story, 63-unit affordable housing development planned by the Housing Commission and Avalon Housing at 121 Catherine St. in downtown Ann Arbor.
• $1 million for a Fourth Avenue streetscape improvement project by the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority in conjunction with the Housing Commission’s plans to create affordable housing along the street.
• $3.9 million for a mixed-use development planned by the J29:7 Planning and Development Corp. at 136 N. Washington St. in Ypsilanti, including five floors with 60 affordable housing units above two retail spaces.
• $100,000 for a workforce development project by J29:7 at 124 Pearl St. in Ypsilanti.

“These investments will help create vibrant places that attract and retain talent, add new housing options, enable business creation and attraction, and provide resources for Michiganders and our communities,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement.

The money coming to Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti is huge and it’s a true regional collaboration to prioritize affordable housing near transit, said Derric Scott, CEO of the J29:7 Planning and Development Corp. in Ypsilanti.

The six-story development J29:7 has planned on Washington Street would take shape on a parking lot across from where TheRide plans to build a new Ypsilanti Transit Center. There would be 60 housing units, all affordable to people of varying incomes starting at 50% of the area median, Scott said.

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...ing-boost.html