ANN ARBOR, MI - It takes Willie Stevenson awhile to unlock and open the bright blue door from the parking lot into his room at Motel 6 in Ann Arbor.

Stevenson, 71, a retired city parks ranger, apologizes that he didn't have a chance to tidy up. But there's not enough space in the room to put away all the clothing, food and paperwork strewn across one of the two queen beds and piled in boxes against the wall.

For about three weeks, Willie and his wife of 37 years, Renee, have been living in motels while they try to find more stable housing.

Technically, they're homeless.

It's been a year since the Stevensons were evicted from the modest house they rented for about seven years on Ann Arbor's south side.

Since then, they've exhausted their options to stay with relatives. Willie said they can't afford to stay at Motel 6 much longer, and he's not sure where they'll go if they don't find housing soon.

"I'm not used to living like this here," he said, seated on the edge of the bed where Renee napped on a gray afternoon late in September. "I can't seem to find no way of getting out of this situation."

Washtenaw County has seen a decrease in the number of people experiencing homelessness in recent years, thanks to additional supportive housing options and agencies doing more to coordinate their resources, said Washtenaw Housing Alliance Executive Director Amanda Carlisle.

But shelters remain at capacity, and the combination of stagnant wages and rising housing costs makes it difficult for people to find an affordable place to live if they've been evicted or are at the end of a lease.

On the hunt for housing

While Willie and Renee Stevenson spend their days driving around in search of "for rent" signs and contacting housing agencies for assistance, Ann Arbor resident Larry Works is taking a different approach to finding a new place to live.

Works, 62, a veteran who has lived in Ann Arbor for about 15 years, has posted fliers around town seeking leads on a rental. He's spread the word via social media and through his church.

A spreadsheet tracks the housing options he's considering, and he has a daily countdown until he has to move out of his current home posted on the wall above his computer.

"It's a little bit of a social experiment to do it the way I'm doing it," Works said.

Recently retired from clerking at Stadium Hardware, Works has lived in a duplex on Ann Arbor's Old West Side since July 2017, and his lease is up at the end of November.

A new owner who bought the house in September plans to move into one floor and use the other part for short-term rentals.

"I guess since I've been around Ann Arbor for so long, it feels a little embarrassing that we don't have more affordable housing," Works said, sipping coffee late in the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 2, in an armchair near the sliding glass doors to the balcony of his second-floor two-bedroom home.

Works currently pays $800 a month for rent, plus does maintenance work. He doesn't expect to find another place at that price, so he's prepared to spend $1,000 to $1,500 a month for a two-bedroom rental, preferably on the west side of Ann Arbor and not in an apartment complex.

If that doesn't pan out, he's considering moving out of Ann Arbor or even out of Michigan.

"Worse comes to worse, I couch surf," Works said. "I might be gray-haired, but I can still swallow whatever pride is necessary and keep looking until I find a good situation. Or I just decide it's not going to happen, so where am I going?"

Works said he could afford to buy a house in Ann Arbor, although he prefers to rent, and he doesn't consider his situation as dire as other people involuntarily looking for housing.

"I'm going to be lucky," he said. "With my work environment, my personal savings - I will land on my feet in some place, some time, some where. I'm not concerned about that."

'Everything's just so expensive'

Average rent in Ann Arbor is $1,472 a month, according to October data from Rent Cafe.

The Stevensons aim to spend $700 a month on rent, Willie said. They've spent more than that on their two-week stay at Motel 6.

The Stevensons also are hoping for a two-bedroom rental. Willie has been checking the classifieds and visiting low-income and senior housing complexes.

He said Housing Access for Washtenaw County told him financial assistance is available to help with moving expenses once they find a place.

He's still searching.

"Right now everybody's coming to Ann Arbor so most everything is full," Willie said. "Ann Arbor is a good place to live. Everything's just so expensive."

Renee's health issues present another challenge.

She requires frequent visits from medical professionals, and bouncing from relatives' homes to motels in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti has made it difficult to maintain consistency with her care.

Willie prefers the medical services available in Ann Arbor, so that's where he's concentrating their housing search.

He used one of the motel's rough white hand towels to wipe away tears as he talked about the pressure he's been under recently.

After working for nearly 20 years as a seasonal employee in the city of Ann Arbor's parks department, Willie is sure the city's citizens will help him find housing once they hear of his present plight.

"There's someplace out there, but I've just got to find it," he said. "It's just a sad situation that it's like this."