Desirae Simmons for Ypsilanti

These are the issues that Desiraé will prioritize on City Council.

Seek sustainable, community-driven, and controlled development without displacement (adapted from Kali Akuno, Jackson Rising)
Create a transparent and inclusive community engagement process with built-in accountability measures
Center the needs of those most in danger of displacement (renters, low-wage earners, seniors, people with disabilities, long-term residents)
Identify the Ypsilanti-specific markers of the gentrification process
Practice long-term and intersectional planning to address the root causes of community displacement and inequity

Collaborate with the Ypsilanti Community Schools Board of Education, higher education institutions (Eastern Michigan University, Washtenaw Community College, Concordia University, University of Michigan), and other non-profit and community partners
Support current and future student- and parent-led reform efforts
Mobilize community members of all ages to attend youth-led events and projects
Identify opportunities for partnerships with local businesses to offer youth jobs and spaces
Create a “Retention Plan” to align opportunities for our young people to remain in the Ypsilanti area to learn, work, and live

Center policies that use an economic and racial equity lens
Support and work with local unions
Align policies to build self-sustaining worker- and community-owned cooperatives
Mobilize residents to participate in decision-making on economic policies that impact their everyday lives
Promote non-monetized economic systems (like Ypsi hOur Exchange) and mutual aid/solidarity networks

Create clear metrics for effectiveness and accountability of Ypsilanti Police Department in providing safety for all residents
Support community interventions which promote healthy relationships
Invest in mental health professionals’ wages, benefits, and development as we identify where the needs are
Locate support services in proximity to areas where people congregate, such as libraries, churches, and the bus depot

Identify an affordability definition and metric that is specific to Ypsilanti
Advocate for tenants’ rights and safety
Explore innovative policies and solutions, such as housing cooperatives, community land trusts, and a housing trust fund
Use community input to create a plan for increasing affordable housing and providing accessibility measures
Improve the current building inspection process and fee-structure to center the needs for health and safety for renters

Prioritize transportation safety on and around our streets
Expand safe access for pedestrians, wheelchair users, and bicyclists and support efforts to promote non-motorized transportation
Identify and secure funds for road and bridge repairs
Promote the use of public transportation in and around Ypsilanti and work with the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority to improve and expand service
Re-open and maintain bathrooms in our public parks

Paid for by Desiraé Simmons for Ypsilanti, 407 Charles St., Ypsilanti, MI 48198