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Renshaw Apartments and senior services emerge as a key issue in Clawson forum
Summary
Candidates debated whether to keep or sell the city-owned Renshaw Apartments, repeatedly saying any ballot question should be paired with a clear plan for current residents; candidates also praised senior programs and urged planning before decisions affecting residents are made.
Candidates at the Sept. 17 League of Women Voters forum described senior services as an important local priority and offered differing views on the future of the city-owned Renshaw Apartments.
Multiple candidates said Clawson has a strong set of senior programs led by city staff (candidates named Scott Jenix and Lisa Ball in praise), including discounted lunches, outings and social activities. Several candidates said the senior center has improved and noted residents’ appreciation for programming.
On Renshaw — a city-owned apartment property that candidates said currently provides subsidized rent to a small number of residents — there was broad agreement that any decision about a sale should include a plan for current occupants. One candidate said the building currently houses about 15 residents who receive subsidized rent; another candidate said proceeds from any sale should be reinvested into senior programs for the wider community.
Several candidates opposed placing a sale on the ballot without a plan to protect tenants. A candidate who served on council when the question first arose said they would not vote to put Renshaw on the ballot “until we have a plan in place for what we’re going to do for those 15 human lives.” Other candidates said the ultimate decision should rest with voters but urged the council to develop and publish a relocation and assistance plan before any referendum.
Why it matters: Renshaw implicates housing, senior services and municipal asset management. Candidates said planning, transparent budgeting and clear protections for existing residents are prerequisites to any sale or disposition.
Ending: Forum participants largely agreed both that Clawson is active on senior services and that disposition of Renshaw — if pursued — should be preceded by explicit plans for current residents and a clear statement of how proceeds would be used.
