2026 Election Questionnaire - Ward 5
Neighbors for More Neighbors A2 is a group of Ann Arbor area residents who have come together to work toward a more inclusive Ann Arbor. You may have seen our purple lawn signs around town. We created and circulated a questionnaire for candidates running for city council and mayor in the primary on August 4, 2026. We hope that this information is useful to all Ann Arbor voters as they prepare to vote this summer.
Our goal was 100% participation, and we are disappointed to not have answers from every candidate. We invited all candidates to our general meeting in April to meet our members and learn about our organization. Our board then sent the questionnaire via email to all candidates on April 24.
In our communications with candidates, we committed to publishing their answers unedited and in full, and we have done so below.
We followed up with those who had not replied on May 15, and then again on June 12. We made every effort to contact candidates directly using the information from their nominating petitions filed with the city clerk, their campaign website, and social media. We also encouraged members of the public to reach out to all candidates directly to encourage their participation, and many did so.
What you see here is exactly what candidates submitted verbatim. We have noted when no response was received or when a candidate declined our invitation.
1. Candidate's Housing Story
How has your housing story shaped your views on housing and land use in Ann Arbor? (i.e., how did you come to live in Ann Arbor, what type of housing have you lived in, how did you acquire your housing, how have your or your family's experiences with housing and neighborhoods shaped your approach to policy?)
Jenn Cornell (incumbent)
I worked hard to climb the ladder to be able to afford to live in Ann Arbor and am deliberate in my decisions to not kick the ladder back out from under me; instead, I’m trying to make it easier on the next person. I am someone who could not afford to live here until I was in my 40s, despite having worked here since my mid-20s. I understand what it’s like to be contributing to our city while remaining on the outside, looking in.
The lack of options, the cost of renting or buying, and the overall cost of living made being an Ann Arbor citizen unattainable to me until I had grown, professionally, to a place where my salary could open up options. I understand how complex this issue is, especially as we consider the cost (financial and environmental) of commuting here for work, and when we think of the time lost during those commutes (personal and family time).
That said, my experience has strongly influenced by views on housing. Housing affordability is a priority for me, specifically continuing to advance promises I made on the doors when first running for office to support gentle density, a variety of housing types, focusing on development in our TC-1 areas, and continuing to advance our affordable housing efforts. I strongly support meeting people where they are and want to be; high rises work for some, rentals work for some, some want more options like the ones we have in Ward 5 that offer duplexes, townhomes, triplexes in our neighborhoods.
Greg Monroe
Candidate declined to respond.
2. Neighborhood Businesses
2a: Do you support zoning changes to allow neighborhood businesses (e.g. Jefferson Market, Argus Farm Stop, Washtenaw Dairy) across all of Ann Arbor? (Y/N)
2b: Please explain your stance.
Jenn Cornell (incumbent)
2a: Yes
2b: As a former small business(es) owner, I appreciate that location matters. The benefit of being part of a neighborhood can't be overstated in terms of connection to community, foot and bike traffic, and meeting the needs of our neighbors; neighborhood businesses have a profound impact.
Our neighborhood businesses offer a sense of community and critical gathering spaces. I personally enjoy taking my kids for ice cream at Washtenaw Dairy, having a date night with my husband at HOMES, and I support welcoming more of these businesses into the Ann Arbor and Ward 5 communities.
Greg Monroe
Candidate declined to respond.
3. Tenant Protections
How can the city better protect renters and ensure they have safe, dignified, and stable living conditions?
Jenn Cornell (incumbent)
I have supported tenant protections and think these are key to protecting our heavy share of renters in this city, both student and otherwise. Our Green Rental Housing Ordinance helps improve the quality of life for our renters and lower utility costs, increasing energy efficiency of our rental units. Our rental inspections also ensure that tenants are not dealing with unlivable conditions, and obligating a rent to renew ensures that renters have the opportunity to remain in place without urgent pressure or unrealistic timelines.
We can’t speak about renting without addressing the reality: we must make housing more affordable for renters who wish to purchase in Ann Arbor. For years, I was priced out, despite working in the City. We must build more units and make housing in Ann Arbor more accessible so that our working class individuals and families, who provide for our downtown businesses and deliver so much for our community in the service industry, can afford to live here.
Greg Monroe
Candidate declined to respond.
4.Three Homes Per Lot
4a: The City’s new Comprehensive Land Use Plan calls for allowing at least three homes per lot citywide. Do you support this change? (Y/N)
4b: If not, where do you think it should be illegal to build three homes on a lot?
Jenn Cornell (incumbent)
4a: Yes
4b: n/a
Greg Monroe
Candidate declined to respond.
5. Ending Ann Arbor's Housing Shortage
What roles should market-rate housing, public-private partnerships, and public housing each play in ending Ann Arbor’s housing shortage?
Jenn Cornell (incumbent)
We must use all of the tools at our disposal to address Ann Arbor’s housing shortage - none of these, individually, is enough. Encouraging market-rate housing helps to build more units, create more supply, expand our tax base, and pay for public housing, which is critical to providing access to those who could not otherwise afford to live here. But our work can’t stop there - we must encourage public-private partnerships to support mixed-income, artist, and other missing middle types of housing that have been zoned out of Ann Arbor for so long. Only by enabling more units and incentivizing housing development can we turn the tide and make housing in Ann Arbor more accessible and attainable for all who wish to live here.
Greg Monroe
Candidate declined to respond.
6. Public Housing
6a: Do you support building more public housing in Ann Arbor? (Y/N)
6b: If so, approximately how many units would you aim to build over the next decade; and how, specifically, would you pay for them?
Jenn Cornell (incumbent)
6a: Yes
6b: The Ann Arbor Housing Commission plans to leverage the city's affordable housing millage to build ~150 units per year. I strongly support its goals to build/ acquire 1500 units by 2030, and am proud to have supported efforts since I joined Council to advance that goal. Currently, the A2 Housing Commission has 1200 units in its pipeline, thanks to the affordable housing millage.
I also support other organizations, such as the Community Land Trust, in its efforts to increase affordable options in the city.
I do want to note that affordable housing and public housing alone will not solve our affordability or housing crises. We need a variety of housing at a variety of price points to truly serve those who want to live in Ann Arbor. Publicly-owned housing is one piece of a bigger puzzle that, as a city leader, I will continue to work hard to bring together.
Greg Monroe
Candidate declined to respond.
7. 2025 Prop A & B (Library Lot) Vote
7a: Did you support Props A & B in 2025 to expand AADL’s Downtown Branch into the neighboring lot and build housing above it?
7b: Please explain your stance.
Jenn Cornell (incumbent)
7a: Yes
7b: Yes - we desperately need a new Downtown Library, and Proposals A & B gave us the chance to get one with housing and more benefits, all with no new taxes. I could not be more excited to see our new Downtown Branch take shape, and look forward to continuing to play the AADL Summer Game with my kids, supporting the phenomenal AADL, and patronizing the retail options soon to be available in the new library.
Greg Monroe
Candidate declined to respond.
8. Addressing Housing Injustice
8a: Do you believe that Ann Arbor's housing history – including racial covenants, exclusionary zoning, and the displacement of Black communities – should influence the city’s decisions about housing? (Y/N)
8b: What are your specific proposals to address historic and ongoing harms caused by the city’s housing policies in an equitable and restorative way?
Jenn Cornell (incumbent)
8a: Yes
8b: The Comprehensive Land Use Plan’s focus on increasing the diversity of housing in the city is the right step forward, given the city’s history of racial covenants and single family zoning that restrict home ownership.
Other ways I have centered equity in our housing policies:
- Directing marijuana excise tax revenue to ensure housing and wrap around services are funded. I sponsored resolutions directing funding to substance use disorder counseling, as part of a broader spending plan to provide housing vouchers and eviction prevention funding.
- Incentivizing affordable development, including requirements for developers to build affordable units when they ask for variances to currently allowed zoning.
- Supporting the Community Land Trust, an exciting initiative that ensures permanent affordability in the community.
- Supporting public-private partnerships to accelerate the construction of badly-needed affordable housing in Ann Arbor.
Greg Monroe
Candidate declined to respond.
9. CLUP Recommendations
9a: Which 1-2 recommendations of the new Comprehensive Land Use Plan do you most strongly agree with, and why?
9b: Which 1-2 recommendations of the new Comprehensive Land Use Plan do you most strongly disagree with, and why?
Jenn Cornell (incumbent)
9a: I support the gentle density the CLUP makes possible. Ward 5 is a great example of how housing diversity strengthens our community and recognizes a range of personal preferences, budgets, commuting styles, and more.
Housing diversity reflects our commitment to inclusivity and environmentalism. The opposite of density is sprawl; think about green spaces devoured by subdivisions just outside of the City, and the carbon emitted commuting to Ann Arbor for work, school, and recreation.
The CLUP does not eliminate the option of building/ owning a single family home – it creates the opportunity for two or three families to live in a space where it’s currently illegal. Versus one family living in a 3000 sq ft space, it’s sensible land use for that space to be multi-family.
I also support the CLUP’s inclusion of our historic district and natural features plans. Protecting our tree canopy, historic districts, and green spaces protects the quality of life here.
9b: My background working in economic development has strongly informed my views around how we use land to advance our goals for our city's economic prosperity as it relates to business growth. I believe the CLUP's lack of acknowledgement that industrial zones are important is a missed opportunity. We currently have spaces in the city where these businesses - biotech, engineering, etc. - exist to attract and retain innovative ideas with places to grow. Acknowledging that a diverse economy is a strong economy is important, and I believe the results of these zoning changes are yet to be seen. I am optimistic that our current zoning designations will continue to support a range of businesses that want to locate here, but that is yet to be seen.
Greg Monroe
Candidate declined to respond.
10. Transportation and Housing
How would your transportation goals and housing goals inform each other to create cohesive policies for both?
Jenn Cornell (incumbent)
When we center transit, housing becomes inclusive and affordable.
In order to achieve density on transit corridors, Ann Arbor’s zoning must encourage dense development. We also need to ensure our transit systems are frequent and reliable. When cities invest in transportation, we know that everyone benefits from having options for getting to school, work, hobbies, medical appointments, etc.
We also know that housing and transportation are almost equally linked in terms of household expenses.
Greg Monroe
Candidate declined to respond.
11. Policy Implementation Timeline
How would you ensure that City Council’s housing and transportation policies are implemented in a timely manner?
Jenn Cornell (incumbent)
Funding is key to any decisions that city council makes in terms of being able to implement any policies, period. I will ensure that our funding priorities align with our broader goals as they related to housing and transportation.
I have started and run businesses. Setting goals and making sure that benchmarks are shared and understood are critical for long term success. City staff needs to understand priorities set by the elected body will be backed by funding.
Greg Monroe
Candidate declined to respond.