Detroit Tiny Homes Provide Big Home Ownership Opportunities
Heather Cook
| 3 min read
We’ve seen them appearing on our social media feeds and TV channels for quite some time now. Tiny homes have been sweeping the nation as people are choosing to live life with an equal balance of glamour and sustainability.
In Detroit, however, they are not just a trendy way of living. They are a gateway to a better living experience for a population that may not have the opportunity to afford other types of housing.
This powerful initiative became a reality after a year and a half of planning when Cass Community Social Services (CCSS) broke ground for the first tiny home in 2016.
The Tiny Homes project was created for tenants to rent-to-own, giving those who are unable to borrow money an asset that will help them grow to be more financially qualified for future investments. Low-income senior citizens, college students and formerly homeless people are eligible for residency.
Being a part of this community is more than just a viable way of living. It goes beyond the minimalistic lifestyle trend because of the opportunity for growth of personal financial sustainability.
Each of the residents will receive financial coaching and mental health services to help them prosper as they move forward in their new home. Because of the proximity to Cass’s main grounds, the residents can walk over to the local campus kitchen and get a hot meal if they are low on money for food.
Cass Community Social Services is committed to ensuring total wellness in this Detroit community, much like it always has. For the past 90 years, the organization has worked to rehabilitate poverty-stricken areas in the city giving assistance with food, jobs, housing and health.
Currently the organization has developed seven intricate houses; one fully furnished and six in the process of becoming just as regal as the first. Each of these 250- to 400-square-foot homes is unique- no two will be alike. Some will feature front porches while others will have rear patios to enhance the each home’s individual space in the lot. They will all have different architecture and layouts, with creative interiors artistically designed. Volunteers, CCSS employees and local professionals have been able to further construction and installation with the help of generously donated supplies.
In total, 25 houses will be built, located on the north edge of the CCSS campus near the John C. Lodge Freeway and Woodrow Wilson Street.
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Photo Credit: Heather Cook, A Healthier Michigan
