Most students who live off-campus are all too familiar with Ann Arbor"s real estate prices. However, it is not only college students who suffer from rents that compare to those charged in U.S. cities far larger than Ann Arbor. Many low-income adults also struggle to find affordable housing close to their workplaces either near campus or downtown. Ann Arbor needs pay attention to this growing problem.

It is therefore imperative that the city maintains current affordable housing options. The Ann Arbor YMCA, currently on the real estate market, runs the "Ann Arbor YMCA Hotel Program" through which it provides affordable housing to low-income individuals. The YMCA"s commitment to offering an environment that is safe, emphasizes community and independent living and furnishes access to support services is admirable and is one that must be continued. While the city is not requiring whoever purchases the YMCA facility maintain affordable housing, it is important that whatever business or individual buys it take the responsibility to independently decide to preserve it.

With the fastest growing group of homeless people being families with children and a lack of affordable housing being the top reason for homelessness, it is necessary to recognize that as a community we cannot count on the invisible hand of the free market to establish housing prices that are affordable for people with low incomes. It is for this reason that both the city and the University need to be proactive in taking measures to make affordable housing available to members of their communities and especially to their employees.

"America"s Cities and the New Economy," a 177-city survey presented at the United States Council of Mayors last June reports that in 31 percent of the survey cities "upper income demand is contributing to a shortage for low and moderate income households." The simple fact that high income individuals and families desire property in Ann Arbor should not result in the denial of affordable housing options to community members with low incomes. Economic rules of supply and demand should not apply when people are being denied the right to affordable housing.

In the "City of Ann Arbor Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report" for Fiscal Year 1999, one of the three to five year goals is to "Expand the supply of affordable rental housing and preserve the existing housing stock." Ann Arbor needs to make efforts to fulfill this goal.

The city, by strongly encouraging any new owners of the YMCA building to continue providing low-income housing will show that it is keeping the best interest of all of its citizens in mind.