Hac Protests Dda Priorities

ANN ARBOR - In protest of the homelessness faced by hundreds of people in Ann Arbor, the Homeless Action Committee (HAC), on Sat., April 15, will erect a shanty town of cardboard boxes in the parking lot behind Kline's Department store. HAC began weekly pickets at this site in January because it is slated to become the city's next parking structure. HAC members, who include homeless and formerly homeless people, hope that the shanty town will draw community-wide attention to inhumane city priorities.

HAC points to the Ann Arbor City Council as the group responsible for the huge allotment of funds for parking rather than housing in the downtown area. The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) was created by the Ann Arbor City Council pursuant to State of Michigan legislation that allows local units of government with declining property values or deteriorating downtown districts to establish such authorities.

The DDA is financed through a tax increment plan. Through this plan the DDA receives the property taxes paid on buildings that were constructed since 1982 (when the DDA was established) or will be constructed up to the year 2008 . The DDA also receives additional taxes attributable to the increase in value of a building that is renovated.

State legislation (MCLA 125.1657) specifically states that DDAs may implement, plan and propose the construction of a public facility or a family dwelling unit. ín the long term the DDA plans to spend 599,000,000. Their plan only includcs parking structures and pedes trian improvements, although housing is mentioned in the description of what the DDA is authorized to do.