Urban Renewal and the Fight for Fair Housing in Ann Arbor

This report may have been delivered to Ann Arbor’s City Council as an update. Buildings are rarely mentioned with the context of those residing or working in them, and are referred to as “sub-standard” on page 1 or an “eye sore” on page 2.

This is a report prepared for the Human Relations Commission of Ann Arbor, breaking down rental housing by income and Census tract and covering various forms of housing discrimination that were occurring in the city.

This document from the Ann Arbor City Council describes the potential redevelopment of the North Central area, a neighborhood which housed the majority of the city’s Black residents of the city, with maps, proposed housing policies, and a lot-by-lot breakdown of envisioned city development.

This Planning Commission report looked into the potential city purchase of various plots of land from a developer in the North Central area. Based on purchase dates and areas, this seller is probably a landlord who was known for purchasing a variety of units in the North Central area during the early 1960s.

This is a map of Ann Arbor, Michigan from the files of former city mayor, Cecil O. Creal with annotations from an unknown person or collective. The blue highlighted regions indicate areas important to discussions about fair housing in the city, which mostly consist of areas on the north side of Ann Arbor.

This is a map of Ann Arbor, Michigan from the files of former city mayor, Cecil O. Creal with annotations from an unknown sender. The blue highlighted regions indicate areas of interest to discussions about fair housing in the city, which mostly consist of areas on the north side of Ann Arbor.

This flyer from the Human Relations Commission warns Ann Arbor residents about multiple schemes designed to push residents to sell their properties and offers resources for getting accurate financial advice. One ploy mentioned involved a local landlord who was increasingly buying houses in the North Central Area and turning them into poorly-run rental units, an act of gentrification which began changing the value of homes in the neighborhood.

Written from Ann Arbor resident John Llewellyn to then Mayor Cecil O. Creal, this letter provides a racist argument against the potential passing of a city-wide fair housing ordinance. Of note is a mentioned housing facility at 307 N. State St. in Ann Arbor, where a racist landlord described to Llewellyn her use of a dog to intimidate potential Black residents. Attached to this letter is a response from Mayor O. Creal, which assures Llewellyn that his concerns are heard and will be taken into consideration by city government.

This unidentified land assessment of the North Central area provides context for the historical settlement of the region by Black residents, while providing ideas for its potential redevelopment. The specific plots mentioned along N. 4th Avenue are also mentioned in related materials surrounding the gentrification of the predominantly Black neighborhood (see “Related Items”).

This annotated document is a comprehensive survey of the impact of racial discrimination on the lives of Black residents of Washtenaw County in the early 1960s. Created by the local chapter of the NAACP, this report was made for the purpose of informing local and national political figures about racial injustices ahead of a potential construction of an atomic laboratory in the area by the Federal Atomic Energy Commission. 

This is a report of the First Presbyterian Church in Ann Arbor that douments the various racist housing discrimination practices that were occuring in the city. Divided into three sections - "Real Estate Brokers," "Builders," and "Financial Institutions" - the document clarifies the various parties involved in upholding Ann Arbor's housing segregation.