The City of Clawson wants voters to approve the sale of Renshaw Apartments.
We believe there are better options.
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There are some important facts about Renshaw that deserve to be part of this conversation.
Renshaw does not rely on taxpayer money to operate. The rent paid by residents covers the building’s operating and administrative costs.
The City has raised ADA compliance as a reason to sell. But Renshaw is not required to meet every current ADA standard simply because it is an older building. And Oakland County has grant programs specifically intended to help communities address accessibility and housing needs.
The City has not done the work of fully exploring alternatives to selling. That includes talking with nonprofit or housing organizations that might be able to take over management or ownership while keeping the apartments affordable and allowing the seniors who live there to stay in their homes.
The City Manager has said he wants to obtain market value for Renshaw. But maximizing the sale price isn't the only possible measure of value.
Imagine a solution where the City gets out of the business of managing senior housing, a qualified nonprofit or housing organization takes on that responsibility, and 14 Clawson seniors get to stay in their homes.
That sounds like a win-win.
We don't understand why the City isn't pursuing that possibility.
The City has put Renshaw on the ballot before doing the work of finding out whether there is another way.
We think that's backwards.
Before we sell, we should explore every option that could keep these 14 seniors in their homes.
Let's keep Renshaw homes for our seniors.