A discussion at the Ann Arbor City Planning Commission at their 4/22/25 showcases the body's perplexing response to Michigan's statewide housing plan, which established a target of creating 75,000 housing units across the state in June 2022, covering both homeownership and multi-unit housing.

The Commission's handling of the matter vividly demonstrates their disconnect and apparent incompetence in addressing strategic housing goals:

• Misalignment with State Objectives: The Commission is immediately shown grappling with the inconsistency between Ann Arbor's housing growth plans and the state's targets, raising questions about their planning capabilities from the outset.

• Confusion Over Basic Data: Significant time is spent in a confused debate over how to interpret fundamental housing data, such as differentiating units "in the pipeline" versus those "under construction". One member even felt the data wasn't specific to Ann Arbor, further highlighting their inability to engage with relevant information.

• Dismissing State Targets: Despite Ann Arbor reportedly exceeding some numerical goals while still facing severe affordability issues, some Commissioners expressed that the state's targets might not be appropriate for Ann Arbor's specific needs. This stance conveniently overlooks the broader housing crisis and the city's role in it, especially concerning the prevalence of single-family homes.

• Proposed "Solutions" Veer into Obfuscation: Rather than developing a data-driven strategy, suggestions included merely adding footnotes to explain Ann Arbor's unique (and non-compliant) situation or creating a "side box" to argue why the state housing policy and its derivation might not apply to them.

• Choosing Ignorance: Ultimately, in a clear display of disregarding broader strategic planning and data, the Commission reached a consensus to completely remove the reference to the Michigan housing plan from their documents. This decision allows them to ignore the state's initiative and avoid accountability for Ann Arbor's contribution to regional housing needs.