Proposed Livonia High Rise Apartment Complex Meets Resistance

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A proposed apartment complex development south of Wonderland Village in Livonia has neighbors up in arms. At a recent planning commission meeting, several residents spoke out against the project. The site is owned by Livonia-based Schostak Brothers. The request for the property would be to change the zoning from C-2 General Business to R-8 High Rise Residential. Residents have taken issue with the redevelopment of the site for years, but recent concerns include the appropriateness of a high rise apartment complex in the middle of a shopping center development with tenants having visual access into neighborhood backyards. The developer asked the commission to table the proposal to a future date, in order to work on additional details of the development.

CDC Mask Policy Reversal Throws Wrench

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The CDC recently took a step backward with its mask policy. Research on the Delta variant is the cause of the reversal. They now recommend that people should wear masks indoors, at least in areas where the coronavirus infection rate is high. The announcement throws a wrench in companies’ return-to-office plans. Many brought workers back, allowing fully vaccinated employees to go without masks. Companies with national footprints may decide to have a consistent mask policy across all offices and sites. The reversal in policy may also cause more corporate vaccine mandates.

 

 

 

Eviction Moratorium Expiration Leaves Renters in a Lurch

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The federal eviction moratorium was scheduled to end on Saturday at midnight, leaving renters to face uncertain futures as they search for housing. Homeless shelters have been adding beds in anticipation. According to a Census Bureau survey, 3.6 million people think they will be evicted within the next two months. The moratorium protected struggling renters in public or private housing if they could prove they had lost income during the pandemic. The moratorium ends when only a small part of the Congress-approved rent assistance has been distributed.  Some states have eviction moratoriums that will extend past the federal one.

 

 

Affordable Housing Options Scarce in Michigan

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According to a report released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a two-bedroom apartment in Michigan is unaffordable for minimum wage renters…unless they work 77 hours a week. Affordable housing was an issue prior to the pandemic, and the economic upheaval has only made it worse. Lawmakers are doling out billions of dollars in emergency rent aid, but experts agree that this is only a short-term fix. Communities need more affordable housing options. With the eviction moratorium expiring, evictions are expected to increase, making it tougher still for displaced tenants to find a place to live. Governor Whitmer plans to use $100 million in federal COVID-19 relief dollars to create 2,000 new affordable rental homes, with funds going toward grants and loans for development, preservation of existing housing and security deposit assistance.