4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS LOCAL GOVERNMENT Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti City Councils pass legislation that protect the housing insecure LINDSAY CALKA Publisher Monday, January 6, Ann Arbor City Council unanimously passed ordinance 24-2106 — nicknamed the “junk fee ban” — that caps application fees at $50 and makes the fees refundable if applicants don’t receive an offer for the apartment. The resolution also bans all waitlist fees. Further, the ordinance bans all fees before move-in except the $50 application fee and the security deposit. It also lays out punishments of up to $1,000 for landlords who don’t follow the law. This ordinance, brought forth by Councilmembers Travis Radina and Cynthia Harrison, addressed many of the demands that the Ann Arbor Tenants Union laid out in their “Trash the Junk Fees” petition which was launched in April of this year. The petition can be read in full at: bit.ly/A2JunkFees. The AATU first presented its petition demands aimed at the Ann Arbor City Council and the Michigan State Legislature in April 2024 in response to local landlords charging enormous waitlist fees, some costing up to $6,745. “[Passage of this resolution] marks a huge step forward for tenants who simply cannot afford these outrageously expensive junk fees. We don’t believe a tenant should have to pay anything before moving in. However, capping refundable application fees at $50 per unit is a reasonable path forward. The AATU is happy to see this ordinance pass and we hope to see it followed by more robust tenant protections in Ann Arbor,” said AATU representative Nathan Kim. The next day, on the east side of the county, Ypsilanti City Council discussed two familiar topics: unarmed response and permanent shelter. Newly elected Ward 3 Councilmember Amber Fellows and incumbent Councilmember Desirae Simmons brought forward two resolutions, 2025-007 and 2025-008, that requested support and funding from the Washtenaw County government for a permanent shelter and non-police crisis response, respectively. Unlike the ordinance in Ann Arbor which enacts immediate protections for renters, resolutions 2025-007 and JANUARY 10, 2025 AATU members and Ann Arbor Councilmembers Radina and Harrison at City Council after the ordinance passed January 6. Photo submitted 2025-008 require movement from another government entity to realize their full impact. Still, the resolutions don’t simply push the ball into the County’s court — 007 includes a shelter development timeline, a community engagement plan, and a commitment to collaborate with local partners. 008 resolves to post a Request for Proposals for an Unarmed Crisis Program that will coordinate triage with EMS and police departments. These two resolutions also passed unanimously, to the excitement of the public attendees. One Ypsilanti resident even brought chocolate cake and tea for the Councilmembers in appreciation. Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti are listening to people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity and taking action! Advocacy is still needed to bring this change to the County level.
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