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Federal Grants To Fight Homelessness In Washtenaw County Show Policy Shift

Ann Arbor
Andrew Cluley
/
89.1 WEMU

Ann Arbor's shift from public housing to a voucher based program is being helped by changes in federal policies.  Washtenaw County is receiving about $2.6 million in US Housing and Urban Development Grants. 

Ann Arbor Housing Commission Executive Director Jennifer Hall says this is roughly the same amount of funding as in the past but is now more targeted towards housing with services and less towards emergency shelters.  Hall says Avalon Housing and other partner organizations will provide many services crucial to keeping people in housing.  This includes crisis management, working with people on financial literacy, and helping address lease violations.

Hall says shelters may face some challenges with daily operations but should see shorter stays as people can get into permanent housing more quickly.

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— Andrew Cluley is the Ann Arbor beat reporter, and anchor for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him acluley@emich.edu.

 

Like many, I first came to this area when I started school at the University of Michigan, then fell in love with the community and haven’t left. After graduating from U of M in the mid 1990’s I interned at WDET for several years, while also working a variety of jobs in Ann Arbor. Then in 1999 I joined the WEMU news team.
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