Ann Arbor’s new homelessness bill of rights: what the council’s 9-0 resolution does, what it doesn’t, and the 180-day report that comes next

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Ann Arbor has adopted a bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness, a council resolution that lists eight protections and directs city staff to come back within 180 days with recommendations for putting it into practice.

The City Council approved it 9-0 on Oct. 19, according to MLive. The city’s own summary says the resolution affirms the right of people without housing to use public spaces and city services without discrimination “while maintaining the city’s authority to enforce lawful rules governing conduct in public places.”

The eight rights. According to the resolution as reported by MLive, people experiencing homelessness have the right to use and move through public sidewalks, parks, transit and buildings on the same terms as anyone else; to equal treatment by city departments and contractors; to be free from job discrimination for lacking a permanent address or using a shelter’s address; to emergency medical care; to register and vote if they are eligible U.S. citizens; to privacy of their personal information held by the city; to use a valid government ID, including a Washtenaw County ID, for city services; and to reasonable disability accommodations.

The resolution also states that Ann Arbor “rejects the criminalization of homelessness” and backs a “housing-first” response built on outreach, shelter, voluntary services and eviction prevention over punishment, MLive reported.

What it does not do. City officials were candid about its limits. “This resolution will not create any additional shelter beds tomorrow (or) immediately expand affordable housing,” Jonathan Laye, director of the city’s Supportive Connections program, told the council, according to The Michigan Daily. Laye said enforcement “should be based on conduct, applied fairly and consistently, and never based solely on someone’s housing status.”

The city says its rules on conduct in public places remain enforceable, so the resolution does not repeal any ordinance. What changes, supporters say, is the posture. Councilmember Cynthia Harrison said a ticket for sleeping outside “doesn’t create a bed — it creates a record,” making housing and work harder to find.

Why now. Laye told WEMU the number of people experiencing homelessness in Ann Arbor is rising sharply, including families with young children and older adults.

What to watch. The real test is the City Administrator’s report, due within 180 days, which will recommend how city policies change. Residents who worry about park and downtown conditions, and advocates who want stronger protections, will both want to see whether it changes how police and park staff respond, what it costs, and whether it adds anything beyond the existing ordinances.

Also that night. The council agreed to buy 124 Felch St. in the Allen Creek floodway for up to $393,400 so the city can tear down the building to reduce flood risk, made Carey Street one-way northbound between Division and Depot, made small business development a priority for the Office of Economic Development, and asked the Planning Commission to draft zoning for denser housing south and east of downtown, the city said.

Sources:
City of Ann Arbor, “Seven things to know from Oct. 19 Ann Arbor City Council Meeting,” Oct. 20, 2026 (resolution summary, 180-day report, other actions), https://www.a2gov.org/news/posts/seven-things-to-know-from-oct-19-ann-arbor-city-council-meeting/
MLive, “Ann Arbor establishes bill of rights for people experiencing homelessness,” Oct. 2026 (9-0 vote, eight rights, resolution language), https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2026/10/ann-arbor-establishes-bill-of-rights-for-people-experiencing-homelessness.html
The Michigan Daily, “City Council passes bill of rights for the unhoused, ban on animal glue traps,” Oct. 21, 2026 (Laye and Harrison quotes), https://www.michigandaily.com/news/ann-arbor/city-council-passes-bill-of-rights-for-the-unhoused-ban-on-animal-glue-traps/
WEMU, “Ann Arbor City Council establishes Bill of Rights for the homeless,” Oct. 20, 2026 (rising homelessness), https://www.wemu.org/wemu-news/2026-10-20/ann-arbor-city-council-establishes-bill-of-rights-for-the-homeless
Photo: Michael Barera, “Ann Arbor August 2013 14 (City Hall).jpg,” Aug. 17, 2013, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), cropped and color-adjusted, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ann_Arbor_August_2013_14_(City_Hall).jpg

Ann Arbor

Tags: Ann Arbor · City Council · Homelessness · Public Safety · Washtenaw County