Michigan Real Estate News

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Michigan’s Rental Aid is Backlogged as Need Continues Rise

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173,000 tenants have applied for the statewide rent aid program that was launched to help renters avoid eviction and meet their payments. Wayne County makes up about one-third of the applicants. Detroiters make up 22% of the rent help applicants. According to the chief operating officer of the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, they continue to see high numbers of requests for support. The Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey reports that between Dec. 1 and Dec. 13,  more than 100,000 Michiganders said they were behind on rent or mortgage payments. Less than half of the applications for assistance were approved as of January 7. Statewide, wait time between application and approval averages 35 to 40 days. In Wayne County, that wait time may take as long as 10 weeks. MSHDA has hired staff combat the backlog and high numbers of applications in Wayne County

Pontiac’s Woodward Loop Will Get Pedestrian-Friendly Makeover

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Pontiac’s Woodward Avenue Loop opened in 1964 during the urban renewal binge. State high engineers announced they would turn Detroit’s I-375 spur into a street-level boulevard over the next several years. MDOT announced that it’s making a similar commitment for the Woodward Loop. Construction will take place in 2024-2025, along with the simultaneous reconstruction of M-59 through Pontiac. It will include new sidewalks, traffic signals and bike paths. The goal is to turn Pontiac’s Woodward Avenue into a series of pedestrian-friendly two-way boulevards with slower traffic speeds. The project also aims to reconnect neighborhoods to the downtown.

 

 

Ann Arbor Takes Steps Toward a More Walkable Neighborhood

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Ann Arbor real estate developer, Oxford Companies, plans to build a new apartment building on Ann Arbor’s south side. The space is currently used as parking for its main office. No timeline has been set for construction. The development endeavors to create a more walkable and livable neighborhood. The 226-acre area may potentially be rezoned to allow new buildings up to 300 feet which will develop a high-density and mixed-use area to create a downtown environment. The proposal would require the rezoning of 69 properties, including those around Briarwood Mall.