low income families

The Michigan Senate voted today to expand a low-income housing assistance program to cover potential homebuyers who fall in the middle-income category. We have more from Rick Pluta.

The Michigan Senate approved bills Thursday to create a tax break for developers to build affordable housing. Rick Pluta reports.

U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) introduced legislation Tuesday that would direct millions to help low-income families with their water bills. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor reports.

Washtenaw County’s Office of Community and Economic Development (OCED) has released its annual report for 2025-26. WEMU’s Ana Longoria details.

The Ann Arbor City Council tonight is expected to approve a grant agreement to allow the Housing Commission to purchase a southside apartment complex. As WEMU's Kevin Meerschaert reports, Avia Lofts on Victors Way will be turned into affordable housing.

The American dream of home ownership is more and more difficult to attain. Many potential buyers cannot afford to purchase a home based on current mortgage rates, property taxes and inflation. WEMU’s Caroline MacGregor talks to the Executive Director at Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley, Sarah Stanton, about the growing challenges of a market rigged against affordability.

Access to quality healthcare is becoming an issue for more and more people. For people of color and for those in lower income zip codes, the problem has always existed. One out of every seven adults in Michigan is dealing with chronic kidney disease and one in three are at risk. Experts call it a silent epidemic. If diagnosed early, it can be treated and managed, but all too many find out too late. The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan has been combatting this issue since 1955 by providing prevention programs and services to high-need populations. WEMU's David Fair looked at the growing need and demand for service and assistance with the foundation's Director of Policy and Programs, Crystal D'Agostino.

Food, housing, transportation, health care, education—the price of everything is going up and putting a strain on greater numbers of people. The hardship is worse for those who are already living at or under the poverty line. Combating poverty and the challenges that perpetuate poverty through generations is at the heart of the work performed by the Ypsilanti-based non-profit, Friends In Deed. While the need for assistance is growing, so is the resolve to address poverty and related issues. For Friends In Deed Executive Director R. Tyrone Kelsey, the mission is personal. He explains why in a conversation with WEMU's David Fair.

There are difficult jobs and there are really hard jobs. Imagine working every day to try and find quality, accessible and affordable child care for single parents and low-income families. It isn’t easy and, in many regards, is getting more difficult. Annette Sobicinski and her team take on that job every day. Annette is executive director of the Child Care Network, and she joined WEMU's David Fair to discuss the growing challenges and where success is being found.

At Ypsilanti Community Schools, the Resiliency Center has grown into one of these spaces that really is making a difference in our community. Since its start, the center has expanded from a single room into a multi-room resource hub, offering clothing, hygiene supplies, internet access, and connections to community services for hundreds of families each year. Lee Van Roth talked about the Resiliency Center's history and the work it does today with its director, Cherisa Allen.