AUGUST 8, 2025 SHELTER Hear Me Out: Ann Arbor needs a real day center For years, people navigating housing instability in Ann Arbor have relied on what might best be described as a patchwork of “daytime” options — public libraries, coffee shops, transit centers and the occasional warming space. These are stopgaps, not solutions. While the library and other public spaces have tried to provide a refuge, none of them offer what a dedicated day center could: safety, stability and the resources needed to help people move forward. The library was never designed to be a solution for those navigating housing crises. At best people are shuffled in and out, often without a quiet place to rest, meet with a caseworker, or simply warm up in the winter or cool down in the summer. Staff are stretched thin, and tensions flare when patrons’ needs go beyond books and Wi-Fi. This isn’t necessarily the library’s fault, but rather the city’s failure to create a space where people can exist without being LIT KURTZ Groundcover vendor No. 159 like churches may open their doors for a few hours but can’t meet the sustained needs of people living without stable housing. These piecemeal measures leave hundreds of residents with no predictable place to go — forcing them to wander, endure extreme weather, or risk trespassing charges just for trying to rest. Ann Arbor prides itself on being treated as problems to be managed. A real day center would fill these gaps. It would offer showers, lockers, basic health services, job and housing navigation, and a stable place to connect with outreach workers. More importantly, it would acknowledge that people have the right to exist — even when they aren’t shopping, working or otherwise performing for the comfort of those around them. Instead, the city continues to rely on makeshift solutions. Temporary cooling centers open and close unpredictably. Community spaces progressive, but without a functioning day center, the city is failing its most vulnerable residents. As someone who has experienced this firsthand, I know how exhausting it is to be displaced hour by hour, day after day. The city must prioritize funding and partnerships for a permanent, year-round day center — not just as a charity gesture, but as a matter of public health and basic human dignity. Until then, the library and other public spaces will continue to bear the burden of a crisis they were never meant to solve. It’s time for Ann Arbor to step up. GROUNDCOVER NEWS JOIN US FOR A CELEBRATION OF FOOD & FARMING ANN ARBOR LOCAL FOOD FESTIVAL AUGUST 28 , 2025 | 5:00-8:00 PM TH ANN ARBOR FARMERS MARKET • FARM & FOOD VENDORS • LIVE MUSIC • CHEF DEMONSTRATIONS • SKILL SHARES • LOCAL FOOD SAMPLING • GIVEAWAYS & PRIZES • GAMES & FUN FOR ALL AGES PRESENTED BY: 9 FREE TO ATTEND FAMILY FRIENDLY LEARN MORE: Special election results GROUNDCOVER NEWS Both proposals regarding the development of the Library Lot passed with 58% approval in the City of Ann Arbor's August 5 special election. The election had a low 24% voter turnout. PROPOSAL A: Amendment to authorize the transfer of City owned property to the Ann Arbor District Library • Authorizes the City to sell the Library Lane Parking Structure, to the AADL for the purpose of building a mixed-use development that includes additional library services, housing, retail and programmable open public space. • Does not authorize new taxes. PROPOSAL B: Amendment to repeal Section 1.4 of the City Charter • Repeals the "Center of the City" section of the City Charter, which mandates that the city-owned land bounded by Fifth Ave., and William, Division and Liberty Streets be permanently retained in public ownership, and repeals the land designation as an urban park and civic center commons. A2GOV.ORG/LOCALFOODFEST
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