Council member outlines housing search database, snow-removal and warming-center transportation issues

Council member Ayesha Gazi Edwin told the Ann Arbor Commission on Disability Issues on Jan. 15 that the city is developing a searchable rental-property database that could include accessibility features, a project she said will be discussed at a council work session in February and still requires council approval.

Edwin said the vendor has met with Detroit officials, and she plans to introduce a council resolution to include accessibility-related search fields and to coordinate with the renters commission. She emphasized the vendor contract has not been signed and that council approval will be required.

Commissioners used the meeting to raise related access concerns. Commissioner Rosanita Ratcliffe asked whether city programs for snow removal (including informal programs like SoMATCH) were covering people who cannot clear sidewalks themselves; Edwin said the database and a potential city contract for snow assistance would be separate from the volunteer-based SoMATCH effort and that city staff would need to evaluate budget and contracting options. Edwin added she would follow up with staff and report back to the commission.

Commissioners also discussed transportation to warming centers and cooling centers during outages or extreme weather. Alex Gossage noted Phoenix Mobility operates as a transportation hub that connects residents to a variety of options and has used grants for targeted needs; Ratcliffe and others identified Catholic Social Services as a local nonprofit that provides assistance to older adults. Commissioners suggested exploring partnerships with private ride foundations (for example, Lyft or Uber foundations) or local nonprofit mobility hubs and urged that emergency-preparedness communications be more inclusive of people with disabilities.

Why it matters: a searchable rental database with accessibility filters could help residents find units that meet mobility and other needs; separate conversations about winter assistance and transportation identify potential gaps in how the city serves residents with disabilities during weather-related emergencies.

Edwin said she will bring more details to the commission as the vendor presentation and council discussion are scheduled for a Feb. work session.