ADRIAN, Mich. — The nonprofit Housing Help of Lenawee has officially ended its supportive housing program at the Adrian Inn and is asking the City of Adrian for reimbursement of expenses tied to keeping the building operational since last October.
The program began in response to the 2022 emergency evacuation of Riverview Terrace apartments, which were deemed unsafe. To house the displaced residents, the city purchased the Adrian Inn—formerly a condemned motel—and entered into a lease agreement with Housing Help to operate the site as short-term housing.
Board treasurer Brandi Johns said the arrangement quickly became financially unsustainable. Rent collection stopped in the fall, but utility bills and maintenance costs continued to mount as the nonprofit worked to relocate the remaining tenants.
“It was, a year before that, deemed condemned by the city,” Johns told the Commission. “And the city was actually trying to look either to sell it or what not. And that’s when they acquired it.”
Johns said Housing Help is not seeking staffing reimbursement, or even the basic costs to keep the building safe and habitable during the final months of occupancy. They are only asking for reimbursement for utility expenses. Johns went on to stress that every dollar spent on the Adrian Inn now pulls resources from other local housing efforts.
City officials said they will review the reimbursement request and take formal action at a future meeting.
In a separate motion, the Commission also approved a resolution allowing city officials to begin negotiating terms for the eventual sale of the property to Adrian College. The proposed agreement includes specific benchmarks for demolition, along with a reversion clause that would return the property to city control if the college fails to meet the conditions.