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Community partners urge Council to renew Rising Hope housing program funding
Summary
Multiple service providers and shelter leaders asked Ann Arbor City Council to continue funding Rising Hope for Housing, describing 81 participants in the first half of FY26 and warning that underfunding risks state grant matches and program expansion.
Several partner organizations urged the Ann Arbor City Council to renew funding for the Rising Hope for Housing program during the public comment period, describing the program as a trauma-informed, collaborative effort that helps people impacted by the criminal justice system retain housing choice vouchers and avoid homelessness.
Jessie, speaking for the Washtenaw Housing Alliance (a grant partner), said Rising Hope’s first six-month progress report for the current grant cycle (July 1–December 31, 2025) showed 81 enrolled participants — 47% families and 53% single adults — with most referrals for rent arrears and additional assistance for utilities and housing searches. Jessie thanked the council for prior marijuana excise rebate funding and asked the council to renew support for a fourth year so the collaborative can continue serving people impacted by the carceral system.
Tom, a case manager with Catholic Charities of Funder Success, described the program’s role in breaking cycles of incarceration and housing instability and warned that the program’s state pilot grant from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity requires local matching funds; he said underfunding could jeopardize leverage of those state dollars.
Elizabeth, a case manager with SOS Community Services, gave client examples showing how Rising Hope helps with landlord mediation, move-in assistance and benefit coordination, and asked the council to continue funding at the highest feasible level.
Nicole Adelman, executive director of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, described countywide shelter needs (Delonis Center provides more than 80 beds nightly), noted a county-wide waiting list and supported a $500,000 capital allocation in the city administrator’s proposed budget to help county shelter capacity; she urged prioritizing homelessness prevention and funding Rising Hope to avert eviction and recidivism costs.
Speakers emphasized that Rising Hope pairs short-term financial assistance with case management, peer support and landlord mediation and that the program’s success supports broader cost-effective outcomes such as reduced emergency services use and improved voucher retention. Council did not take an on-the-spot vote on the program; funding decisions remain part of the budget and appropriation process.
