Ann Arbor mayoral candidates debate city's housing issues
Candidates in the Ann Arbor mayoral race went head-to-head during a debate Wednesday night.
While they discussed their views on various issues, including energy use, the environment, and construction, they kicked things off by debating housing in the city.
CBS News Detroit spoke with voters to see how they feel about all the changes they're seeing downtown and near the University of Michigan campus.
"I think the big difference is the housing that would be available for the working folks," said Ann Arbor resident Tom Stulberg.
Washtenaw County Commissioner and candidate for mayor, Yousef Rahbi, says new luxury high rises are making Ann Arbor unaffordable for those types of residents.
"Displacement as a result of development, displacement as a result of policies coming from city hall. We need a concierge service that is working with our community to keep people in our community that want to be here," he said during Wednesday night's debate.
Incumbent candidate, Mayor Chris Taylor, says improving the housing supply through affordable and residential housing is his solution to displacement. He denies focusing on luxury housing development.
"The comprehensive land use plan envisions a great deal more housing in the downtown. This is not going to be luxury housing; this will be housing for people. People who work. It envisions housing in neighborhoods. Duplexes and triplexes throughout neighborhoods," Taylor said.
We asked voters what they think about the type of housing that's being built, especially as Ann Arbor becomes more vertical.
"The city needs more housing. It needs to grow; otherwise, it's going to have an aging tax base. But I am concerned that everything looks really luxury, really expensive, and it's just attracting rich people," said Ann Arbor resident Dominykas Siaudvytis.
"Mayor Taylor said some things I see as aspirational but aren't really going to happen. His policies are more feed the rich first, and we're going to have to wait, as opposed to making things affordable directly, which is where I see Yousef Rabhi," Stulberg said.
"People talk about adding more affordable housing, so the best way to do that is to add more housing," said Ann Arbor resident Patrick O'Brien.
Voters will cast their ballots for either Rahbi or Taylor during the Aug. 4 mayoral primary. The winner will advance to the general election on Nov. 3. So far, there's no Republican challenger.
