Municipal Reparations Study

The Ann Arbor City Council approved a contract for independent research to examine how past city housing and policing policies, laws, practices, and regulations may have affected Black residents of Ann Arbor.

The research is being conducted by Obsidian Research Insights LLC (ORI) and is expected to take approximately 12 months to complete.

The resulting Harms Report is intended to provide historical research and analysis for City Council's consideration. No decisions regarding a municipal reparations program have been made as part of this contract.

Quick Facts 

Project Status

In Progress - Harms report

Timeline

Approximately 12 months (beginning July, 2026)

Consultant

Obsidian Research Insights LLC

Managed By

City Administrator's Office

Council Action

Professional services agreement approved by City Council

In June 2024, City Council adopted Resolution R-24-259 directing the City Administrator to study the feasibility, process, and structure of a potential municipal reparations program.

As part of that direction, Council requested a Harms Report to examine historical city housing and policing policies and their impacts on Black residents of Ann Arbor.

To complete this work, City Council approved a professional services agreement with Obsidian Research Insights LLC to conduct independent historical research, community engagement, and data analysis.

A Harms Report is a research report that examines historical policies, practices, and their impacts over time.

For this project, the report will focus on:

  • Housing policies
  • Policing policies
  • Historical records
  • Community experiences
  • Data analysis and mapping

The completed report will include:

  • Context Report
  • Community Impact Report
  • Initiative Impact Dashboard

Over the course of approximately one year, ORI will:

  • Review historical records and available data.
  • Conduct research into historical housing and policing policies.
  • Meet regularly with the City Administrator's Office.
  • Engage current and former Ann Arbor residents through interviews, surveys, and community listening sessions.
  • Analyze findings and prepare the final Harms Report.

Most residents will not be directly affected by this project unless they choose to participate.

Residents who wish to share their experiences or knowledge may have opportunities to participate through:

  • Community listening sessions
  • Surveys
  • Interviews

If you want to contact the Obsidian Research Insights team to share knowledge about Ann Arbor’s past, volunteer for future involvement, or ask additional questions, please email research@obsidianresearchinsights.com

Information about broader participation opportunities will be posted as they become available.

Common questions

No.

City Council previously directed staff to study the feasibility, process, and structure of a potential municipal reparations program. The current project is the preparation of a Harms Report to provide historical research and analysis.

No.

The purpose of this project is to conduct research and prepare a report. Any future policy decisions would require separate consideration and action by City Council.

The City selected Obsidian Research Insights LLC through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process.

ORI is leading the project in collaboration with Blue Marble Analytics.

Current and former Ann Arbor residents may have opportunities to participate as the project progresses.

If you want to contact the Obsidian Research Insights team to share knowledge about Ann Arbor’s past, volunteer for future involvement, or ask additional questions, please email research@obsidianresearchinsights.com

More information on how the community at large can participate will be coming as the study progresses. 

Approximately 12 months.

Contact

Questions about the research?

Obsidian Research Insights LLC

research@obsidianresearchinsights.com

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