A simple piece of metal, a key, that opens more than the lock in a door, it unlocks an inclusive, stable, cooperative future for the residents at Karwick Village. This past weekend, our first three families received their keys and were able to move into their units. The sound of the pins in the lock clicking over as the keys turned in the deadbolts was the first official welcome home for these individuals. That noise signifies safety, stability, and community, the most wonderful sound this holiday season.
We know that affordable housing is beyond simply being in short supply; it is a crisis in our community and beyond. Earlier this week, the Michigan City City Council held a workshop on the issue of the unhoused population in the city, and during this meeting, one topic kept recurring: the lack of affordable housing in our community. For so many in our community, housing is becoming a luxury and not meeting this basic human need.
Complex Situations Require Innovative Solutions
Homeward Bound recognized the link between affordable housing and those who are unhoused or at risk of becoming unhoused. Housing is a human right, not a privilege. This made our founders seek a different solution, to think outside the box, and that is how our organization was formed. The success rate of cooperative affordable rental communities was the answer for our community.
For more than a decade, Homeward Bound Villages learned and fundraised to realize the dream that was achieved this past weekend, to provide affordable housing in our community. We began 2024 with a plot of land and funds, but not enough to start building. Yet our team never gave up, and perseverance paid off. In March, we gathered as a community to turn the first shovel full of dirt, officially breaking ground at Karwick Village. In November, we held a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This past weekend, we welcomed our first three families home.
Home for the Holidays
For the first three families at Karwick Village, home for the holidays takes on an extra special meaning of stability, community, inclusivity, and so much more. We hope to welcome our remaining three families soon as Phase 1 construction comes to completion. We will welcome parents with children, those who have been living in deplorable circumstances, and individuals who have been unhoused. Together, they’ll begin the Karwick Village Cooperative and start the new year with a tight-knit community.
As we welcome home these six families, our attention turns to phase 2 of construction at Karwick Village, which includes our much-needed Community Center where the Karwick Village Co-op will meet, laundry facilities will be located, and a community kitchen will be. This space is where community will grow, relationships will be formed, and support will solidify within the community.
As we look back at this incredibly transformative year for our organization, but more importantly for the families that have just moved into Karwick Village, we thank you for your support. We could not have crossed this milestone without community support. Thank you for making stability, security, inclusivity, and forever affordable cooperative living possible in our community. We invite you to continue supporting this project at Karwick Village as we move into phase 2 in the new year.
