SEPTEMBER 22, 2023 COMMUNITY INVESTMENT As part of the 2021 COVID-19 American Rescue Plan Act, Ann Arbor received $24 million. The City was given until the end of September 2026 to use the funds. An online survey and live question-and-answer session were conducted to gather a sense of how city residents wanted to see the funds spent. After hearing from several groups, the council made its decision this past April as to who would receive the funding. Although it is obvious that the pandemic increased the numbers of what is already a horrific humanitarian crisis known as homelessness, the bulk of the funding went to other projects. With the dire impact that was felt by those who were or became unhoused during the pandemic, it seems that it would have been the families on the streets who would have been most concerning to the city. For example, during the pandemic, the hotline for the shelter system failed and had to be retooled after getting backlogged with over 2,000 calls. Washtenaw District Judge Erane Washington lamented in a virtual presentation to the Washtenaw County Democratic Party that evictions were “piling up” due to the “astronomical” increases in rent. The judge noted that following her vacation she processed over 30 evictions, leaving families nowhere to go except the streets. These families added to the numbers of people who are “living in circumstances not fit for human habitation” as defined by the federal government. Yet, as it turned out, only around 25% of the funds were applied to a crisis that grew within this crisis. Not only did the numbers of people experiencing homelessness increase, but the conditions of those who were already unhoused became worse. GROUNDCOVER NEWS ARPA funds pilot guranteed income in Ann Arbor ELIZABETH "LIT" KURTZ Groundcover vendor No. 159 Despite disappointing funding for those who are essentially left in the elements, a promising initiative for those who are struggling through homelessness emerged, a guaranteed income pilot program. It will help not only the unhoused, but those who are living in extreme poverty or poverty. Although the council approved the University of Michigan Guaranteed Income for Ann Arbor or “Gig A2,” it was not without challenges which included having the $2,300,000 dollar allotment reduced to $1,600,000. Those who can apply for the no-strings-attached funding are those who are, according to MLive, “… self-employed people, owners of formal or informal small businesses, gig workers and people with side hustles who have low incomes.” From there, 200 applicants will be chosen as participants with half receiving the $528 monthly payments and the other half serving as a control group. Every participant will be paid $50 for completed questionnaires. Associate Director of the program, U-M Social Work Professor Kristin Seefeldt, stated that whether or not an individual is chosen for the monthly check, it is important that each group participate in order to get a true understanding of the effectiveness of the study. 7 One of the most passionate proponents of the program was Councilwoman Linh Song who is eager to see the pilot up and running and is hopeful that when the funding expires, the city will continue it in the future. The Michigan Daily reported Song as saying that she “… hopes it will demonstrate that folks who struggle, work very very hard and work multiple jobs, are the cornerstones of their communities.” Momentum for guaranteed income may be gaining as Los Angeles, California, conducted a similar pilot in 2022. The aptly named program, BREATHE, selected 1,000 participants to receive $1,000 per month for three years. It is the sentiment of many programs leaning towards “unconditional income” that poverty and extreme poverty do not allow people to, well, breathe. The GigA2 program in Ann Arbor along with BREATHE in LA may provide evidence of what many have known all along. Unconditional giving may be the best way to give after all. For those who are interested in the Guaranteed Income for Ann Arbor study, the details can be found by visiting its website: https://giga2.org. 6
8 Publizr Home