Community Development

Coverage of community groups bringing about changes, innovations, and solutions in their community.

Montasia James and Ashley Anderson are heading up the RAPID program at Corner Health Center in Ypsilanti.

Washtenaw sheriff’s office and Ypsi nonprofit team up to keep youth out of the justice system

The new Restorative and Preventative Intervention and Diversion (RAPID) program is a pre-arrest deflection initiative designed to connect youth with support before they become entangled in the criminal legal system.

Latest in Community Development
From vacant lots to affordable housing: How developers are using predevelopment assistance to revitalize Ypsi and beyond

Predevelopment assistance was a vital tool in creating Ypsilanti's new Dorsey Estates and other similar developments.

A rendering of Ann Arbor's Treeline trail.
Ann Arbor’s ambitious Treeline trail project advances with $1 million state earmark

A three-mile non-motorized greenway connecting downtown Ann Arbor to the Huron River is taking a vital step forward thanks to a recent $1 million earmark in Michigan’s 2026 state budget.

Palm Leaf Club members Valerie Eaglin, Connie Mason-Taylor, Judy Jackson, Stacey Mack, Eloise Witherspoon, and Paulette Dozier.
Black women in Ypsi have been supporting community for over a century through the Palm Leaf Club

Ypsilanti's oldest African-American women's charitable organization, the Palm Leaf Club, grew out of a church club established in 1904.

Ypsi activists advocate for women’s prison to address mold and related health concerns

Ypsilanti-based advocacy group Survivors Speak and its founder, Trische' Duckworth, are turning up the heat on legislators, asking them to address life-threatening mold at the Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Pittsfield Township.

The first Michigan Restorative Justice Summit takes place at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti.
Michigan’s first statewide restorative justice summit debuts in Ypsi

More than 200 people attended the first statewide Michigan Restorative Justice Summit Oct. 30-31 at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti.

Chelsea city leaders work with Michigan Municipal League to strengthen local economy

Michigan Municipal League shares innovative programs, fosters collaborations, and connects communities with resources.

Neighbors for More Neighbors members Greg Matthews and Kit McCullough stand outside Jefferson Market in Ann Arbor's Old West Side.
Neighbors for More Neighbors: Group’s vision of denser, more affordable Ann Arbor advances with draft city plan

Ann Arbor's draft comprehensive land use plan would result in a denser city with more housing and transit options.

Exceptional Journeys founder Zee Kennedy, at right, interacts with visitors at her nonprofit's Ann Arbor community center.
Ann Arbor nonprofit serving adults with special needs plans expansion due to high demand

Exceptional Journeys provides a variety of services for people with special needs, and the nonprofit has plans to expand.

Ken Parks, an Ann Arbor resident who has experienced homelessness.
Federal policy poses new threats to Washtenaw County residents experiencing homelessness

Forthcoming Medicaid cuts have direct implications on not just health, but housing, for many of Washtenaw County's poorest residents.

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