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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com News 2 — Wednesday, June 8, 2022 Newsroom Office hours: Sun.-Thurs. 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. 734-763-2459 opt.3 News Tips news@michigandaily.com Corrections corrections@michigandaily.com Letters to the Editor tothedaily@michigandaily.com or visit michigandaily.com/letters Photo Department photo@michigandaily.com Arts Section arts@michigandaily.com Editorial Page opinion@michigandaily.com Sports Section sports@michigandaily.com Magazine statement@michigandaily.com Advertising Phone: 734-418-4115 Department dailydisplay@gmail.com Lindsay Budin and Connor Earegood Managing Sports Editors sports@michigandaily.com Kai Bartol Managing Arts Editor arts@michigandaily.com Senior Arts Editor: Emilia Ferrante Serena Shen and Claire Yang Managing Design Editors design@michigandaily.com Senior Layout Editor: Lys Goldman Sarah Boeke and Julianne Yoon Managing Photo Editors photo@michigandaily.com Julia Verklan Maloney Managing Statement Editor statement@michigandaily.com Abbie Gaies and Lizzie MacAdam Managing Copy Editors copydesk@michigandaily.com Matthew Bilik Managing Online Editor webteam@michigandaily.com Nithisha Kumar Managing Video Editor video@michigandaily.com Anchal Malh and Andy Nakamura Michigan in Color Editors michiganincolor@michigandaily.com Mishal Charania and Martina Zacker Audience Engagement Managing Editors socialmedia@michigandaily.com Akshara Koottala and Lola Yang Chairs of Culture, Training, and Inclusion accessandinclusion@michigandaily.com Quin Zapoli Editorial Page Editor tothedaily@michigandaily.com Eli Friedman and Riley Hodder Managing News Editors news@michigandaily.com UMich receives $3.5 million reimbursement for Philbert settlement UMich receives a $3.5 million reimbursement for the Philbert settlement following the November 2020 $9.25 million settlement for survivors The University of Michigan will receive a $3.5 million reimbursement from Munich Reinsurance America for its November 2020 $9.25 million settlement with eight survivors of former University Provost Martin Philbert’s sexual misconduct. The University had an agreement with Munich Reinsurance America that they could be reimbursed up to $4 million for the settlement. Philbert was removed from his position in March 2020 following almost two months of paid administrative leave. The University hired the firm WilmerHale to investigate over 20 allegations of sexual misconduct brought against Philbert. In their July 2020 report, The monkeypox virus: What is it, and should you be concerned? Washtenaw County official and U-M Global Health professor share information on the monkeypox virus and whether we should be worried Brian Chambers, a Ward 3 resident and U-M alumni, has a long history of housing advocacy in the city. This year, his 39-page volunteer project, titled “Ann Arbor’s NADIR AL-SAIDI Daily News Editor SAMANTHA RICH Summer News Editor Read more at michigandaily.com Read more at michigandaily.com NEWS RESEARCH WilmerHale said they had found evidence of over 15 years of sexual misconduct, during which Philbert served as an assistant professor, an associate dean, School of Public Health Dean and University Provost. WilmerHale also alleged that multiple U-M officials, including former University President Mark Schlissel, were aware of allegations against Philbert but did not pursue them further. Rising LSA senior Abigail Nighswonger, an LSA student government representative who helped form the LSA Student Government Sexual Misconduct Task Force, said she felt the University does not do enough to hold those in power accountable for their actions. “I would characterize the University’s culture as excusatory,” Nighswonger said. “People in the highest levels are not held to the same standards as everybody else. There’s always an excuse to let it continue to happen.” In 1986, the University created Veritas, its own private insurance subsidiary, to ensure the availability of funds to compensate community members for any losses or damages. In an email to The Michigan Daily, University spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald wrote that Veritas paid the entire amount agreed to in the Philbert settlement, meaning no general U-M funds, including tuition and public funding, were used to pay. Fitzgerald explained that the reimbursement the University will receive is a result of an existing agreement between Veritas and Munich. “Veritas had a reinsurance policy with Munich to cover a portion of claim costs in excess of ($4 million),” Fitzgerald wrote. “Veritas sought to recover funds consistent with that policy. Munich denied the claim and initiated litigation against Veritas. Now Veritas and Munich settled the claim.” Veritas will also pay the $490 million settlement with over 1,000 survivors of the late Dr. Robert Anderson that was agreed to in January of this year. A May 2021 report from WilmerHale found evidence of 37 years of sexual abuse including subjecting students to invasive, inappropriate treatments and procedures as a physician for University Health Service and the U-M Athletic Department. Middle-Income Needs Analysis: Introducing the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA),” motivated a May 5 City Council resolution to collect and communicate home mortgage information. In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Chambers gave his first-hand account of the wealth- building power of homeownership. “I bought my first house when I was in graduate school (at the University) in 1984, with a joint investment from my in-laws,” Chambers said. “…since then, the housing price has increased a lot but we’ve been able to keep our housing cost at 1984 levels, as the mortgage payments are fixed.” According to the U.S. Census Bureau, if Chambers was not a homeowner, the rent he would be paying today would have increased by 75% from the level it was at in 2000. The average housing price in Ann Arbor, on the other hand, is now five times the level it was in 1984. Prospective home buyers must have enough savings to cover the downpayment and closing cost before buying a house. The post-pandemic housing boom has made reaching this saving threshold increasingly difficult. According to the Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors, for-sale home inventory in Ann Arbor has shrunk by almost 60% in the past year, while the median price of single family homes increased by 11.4%. In an interview with TheDaily, Lauren Corneliussen, a buyer’s agent based in Ann Arbor, explained how these trends cause frustration for first- time home buyers. “It could take as many as three deals to get your final accepted offer,” Corneliussen said. “(For homebuyers), it takes longer to buy, it’s harder to buy and it’s more stressful, and you pay for stress in money by losing work or making snap decisions.” Chambers said he wants to unlock homeownership opportunities for more people and that the story of Veronica Brandon, who was able to own a house thanks to mortgages from NACA, is especially compelling for him. He examined the U.S. Census (between 2010 and 2019) and Bureau of Labor Statistics to further understand recent home ownership patterns. Design by Jennie Vang