[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6078387,"mediaKeyId","2959742-33bc0de26390e5ef48528a1153ec0b0e","parentId",2959742,"title","Human Rights Commission discusses outreach, website, and short-term allocations for food and crisis responses","audioSeconds",50,"startMs",4320000,"endMs",4370000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2959742-33bc0de26390e5ef48528a1153ec0b0e&start=4320&end=4370","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2959742-33bc0de26390e5ef48528a1153ec0b0e/thumbnail_4320000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6078387/Ann-Arbor-City/Washtenaw-County/Michigan/Human-Rights-Commission-discusses-outreach-website-and-short-term-allocations-for-food-and-crisis-responses","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6078387-5e7ceefc077a3a617b69d3fe3d31c3dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176008&Signature=cWYPVUPO19u2vUHCdHbT1LMG9~AJ0K0VIwz5lQwTH9MKvrwuZV2YCvpleD27EyE-nsSO1udlCpfVsXj-CbeokUOxNfRodd4h0tVQK3hAeiU92BZMd1sEbLm0yJK07TdqLd5mWg8e~dV2qW4zKfPsCsgdhAgejAtJG8Wokw-6cUSh~h0MLdfvE9Yz9kPrTi1KKJ3ZgrT7Q0f6DZpv~4AT96hyfrMXzwxuUKPFg~KlpdVQAshC~0~vv6m1saBnV3xEINKhkfA7~HItOdO~XhwcEWgcObH4PcwQtvardtliHnWg9LTHaJDcCwU~h0gWKcDlqY5pHP6QJV66UX1mYRoFiA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","CTN Ann Arbor","date","2025-04-09T00:00:00Z","article","After two student presentations, the Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission spent time on internal business, outreach and immediate city priorities. Commissioners discussed business-card text and a proposed short mission line — “City of Ann Arbor: Defending human rights close to home” — and requested that complaint and resource instructions be prominent on the commission’s web page.

Commissioners reported progress on outreach: a flyer will run as a scrolling PSA on the city's cable channel (CTN) and the commission plans a longer recorded interview or segment to explain its role and complaints process to the public. Commissioners also asked staff to verify and repair broken links on the commission’s web page, and suggested a simple short URL and a QR code to point residents directly to complaint and resource pages while retaining alternate hard-copy instructions for residents without smartphone access.

On budgeting and staff responses, commissioners and a council member reiterated the administration’s work to study national unarmed-response models and to set aside portions of marijuana excise tax and mental-health/public-safety rebate funds; the administration recently used state grant money to hire two social workers to serve downtown supportive-connections services. Several commissioners urged rapid one-time allocations to food pantries to meet immediate needs while acknowledging the need for coordinated, stable, multi-year funding with county partners.

The meeting closed after routine approvals and an adjournment vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission 4/9/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Commissioners reviewed administrative items including business-card copy and CTN outreach, asked staff for transparency on crisis-response procurement, and debated using one-time city funds for immediate food relief while pursuing stable funding for long-term programs.","taxTitle","Ann Arbor City, Washtenaw County, Michigan","taxId",5773,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6078392,"University students tell Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission food insecurity rising in Washtenaw County as nonprofit funding falls",880,3104000,3984000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2959742-33bc0de26390e5ef48528a1153ec0b0e&start=3104&end=3984","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2959742-33bc0de26390e5ef48528a1153ec0b0e/thumbnail_3104000.jpg","/articles/6078392/Ann-Arbor-City/Washtenaw-County/Michigan/University-students-tell-Ann-Arbor-Human-Rights-Commission-food-insecurity-rising-in-Washtenaw-County-as-nonprofit-funding-falls","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6078392-9d39c10474ab6445f417f27f85159497/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176008&Signature=n0BGT3CNjBGvplsT8weHiWd05fMv15HePozkYZnRt3zNM~TFGkfTx1bY87cFoIr953wio65we32ytegqqReQvFyY6wGlPCMHNVfLGKZpoKbzn7f-dBiugURR1z9GdmFWHml1B5Z~-8BfhWyO2aMvQo4E3gwP8LZBtnmEa22Jv3gktOXmwubE580MahpwJzRv3b44Q7GBaQaM26kOB0CDbS6Rj-11fZ-67FlPS82fkcUUn~Q8Eo8NXf0hy7UX4kr7xz~~c5aXzkz6S7pFMu5otiQGMXmz-jVI2kS7Iy~11IH0qXbsQ74Fsty7T8FRxM7qVva8jTfS8keEr-7ELiYojg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A University of Michigan student team presented research to the Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission on April showing rising food insecurity in Washtenaw County alongside cuts to federal programs and strained nonprofit supplies, and urged immediate local funding to support pantries plus longer-term prevention strategies.

The presenters said national programs and local nonprofits have both seen reductions in resources and that certain kinds of donations (shelf-stable items) have remained common while higher-cost goods such as dairy and meat — items food pantries need to meet nutritional demand — are in short supply. They said EBT- and USDA-funded supports have changed recently and that work requirements tied to some benefits can pose access barriers.

Why it matters: Presenters noted that Ann Arbor’s high cost of living hides a great deal of poverty and that children’s hunger has recently trended upward in county-level data the group reviewed. Local nonprofits described budget cuts, staffing losses and volunteer burnout that constrain distribution capacity.

What students found and recommended: The group interviewed local providers, including the food-rescue nonprofit Food Gatherers and CAN (Community Action Network). They reported that some community organizations are using economies of scale to stretch dollars but that sudden funding reductions forced staff layoffs and service contractions. Students suggested short-term, one-time local funding to bridge immediate gaps and emphasized the need for stable, multi-year funding to avoid repeating cycles of crisis and recovery.

The presenters also highlighted community-based prevention and resilience measures practiced elsewhere: community gardens, skill-building workshops, volunteer training to boost neighborhood self-sufficiency and partnerships with farmers or grocery vendors to redirect fresh produce before spoilage. The students listed local groups already doing related work, including Growing Hope and Slow Food Huron Valley, and said some programs combine education, paid teen work opportunities and donations to pantries.

Discussion and city context: Commissioners and council members discussed where city funding might be directed and noted coordination with county partners would be necessary because municipal dollars alone would not reach all affected households. A council member reported the administration has been setting aside marijuana excise tax revenue and public-safety/mental-health rebate funds, and said one-time funds could be used for emergency relief while the city works toward more stable revenue allocations. Presenters and commissioners also discussed logistics such as existing county-wide food maps and distribution calendars used by Food Gatherers and other providers.

Ending: Commissioners encouraged rapid action to help pantries and requested presenters supply an updated list of local resources and more precise data on service volumes; the commission discussed greater outreach and partnership with county agencies to coordinate emergency funding and longer-term anti-hunger measures.","Student researchers told the commission that federal cuts and decreased nonprofit resources have increased food insecurity locally, urged short-term funding to pantries and longer-term supports such as community gardening and coordination among providers.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6078396,"Students tell Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission city process stalled on unarmed crisis response",1440,838000,2278000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2959742-33bc0de26390e5ef48528a1153ec0b0e&start=838&end=2278","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2959742-33bc0de26390e5ef48528a1153ec0b0e/thumbnail_838000.jpg","/articles/6078396/Ann-Arbor-City/Washtenaw-County/Michigan/Students-tell-Ann-Arbor-Human-Rights-Commission-city-process-stalled-on-unarmed-crisis-response","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6078396-6b90f9a6a90a23516b5378356357a7e3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771176008&Signature=hTYwESvjZiLxWulLbtUC5ixCrVBe3pOWidl5CCQfD6~Ju4tldBDR6o9jzwoTLfkn~tts~WbmQdYqpRmrQg4cG-S8fkIXbjqdKGGNpD48J84qbG2C8tzBBlGyAXeBYZFEIPuAUVfhnsTcVUFjl8LckXmr5l56t1wxW92DAJYhI4w59jA8Q1PTXL9TkY2FleAcnWrBL4i8i8PcvB2ZvRouD2qtI-6kNmAzRf6Ij3XB3zbFtroKN~SVw7Em8b79myIKZGvLXyV-vpbY39SzqCJFg8wU-WI7Troyf5pxud4~n6b9ZVVojPtXMHxQB1NKhy5yBjGfFuYQNsz8NGyHRnrHcA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A group of University of Michigan School of Social Work students told the Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission on April that the city’s effort to stand up an unarmed crisis response team has produced little public clarity and that locally developed organizations have been sidelined by restrictive procurement processes.

The students said the city adopted a directive in 2021 to create an unarmed crisis response option for some 911 calls — for example, mental-health crises or calls involving people experiencing homelessness — and that an early respondent to a city request for proposals, Coalition for Reenvisioning Our Safety (CROWS) and a related team now known as Care Based Safety, did not win approval after the initial procurement. A subsequent narrower RFP issued in 2024 drew no applicants, the students said, and they described limited publicly available information about why the original proposal was rejected and what next steps the city has taken.

Why it matters: The students framed the topic as a public-safety and equity issue. They noted research and advocacy findings discussed in their project showing higher risks of use of force for people who are Black, Hispanic or living with mental illness and argued that a response model that relies on armed officers alongside social workers (a “co-response” model) can preserve the presence of weapons and undermine trust with people in crisis.

The students summarized interviews they conducted with local and near-local groups doing unarmed response work, including Care Based Safety (which operates primarily in Ypsilanti), Detroit Safety Team and other programs the students cataloged from national examples. They said Care Based Safety declined to apply to Ann Arbor’s narrower RFP because the requirements conflicted with the organization’s mission; Care Based Safety told the students it prefers consent-based responses, community involvement at every stage and separate dispatch pathways rather than being subordinated to standard 911 dispatch.

The presenters recommended the city consider funding a locally rooted organization to provide unarmed crisis response without municipal oversight that would undercut the provider’s mission, or at minimum training 911 operators to divert appropriate calls and station social workers in dispatch while separate response capacity is built. The students also urged transparency about what city staff have reviewed, citing community interest in the city administrator’s and other officials’ travel to study models in other jurisdictions.

City responses and related budgeting steps reported in the meeting: Commission and council members on hand said city staff have been studying national models; one council member reported the city has been setting aside portions of marijuana excise tax revenue and related rebate funds for mental-health and public-safety work, and the administration recently used a state grant to hire two social workers to serve supportive-connections downtown services. Presenters and commissioners discussed tradeoffs: some law-enforcement officials expressed interest in noncoresponse approaches, while students and presenters warned that co-response will continue to carry the signal of armed officers and risks that can escalate encounters.

Discussion highlights: Commissioners asked the students how existing community programs operate (funding sources, whether they have separate phone lines or rely on outreach), what calls still require police backup, and how community training and prevention can reduce demand for crisis response. Presenters said Care Based Safety currently relies heavily on private donors and community fundraising in Ypsilanti, runs outreach and community-training programs, and is building operations before seeking municipal contracts.

Next steps noted at the meeting: Commissioners urged further public information from the administration and encouraged the students and community groups to provide details to staff and the council as the budget is prepared. Commissioners also noted the city’s ongoing budget cycle and that larger, multi-year programs require stable revenue streams rather than single-year allocations.

Ending: Commissioners thanked the student presenters and asked staff to raise remaining questions with Care Based Safety and other local groups; the commission requested further updates during the budget season as staff work toward potential pilot funding and program design.","University of Michigan social-work students reported limited public information and stalled procurement after a 2021 council directive to create an unarmed crisis response program; they recommended funding community-led teams and clearer, transparent decision-making from city staff.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Human Rights Commission discusses outreach, website, and short-term allocations for food and crisis responses

University students tell Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission food insecurity rising in Washtenaw County as nonprofit funding falls

Students tell Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission city process stalled on unarmed crisis response