Phase 2 of construction at Karwick Village Community Center is our next step in building the village we set out to build a decade ago. Today, we want to share why our focus in Phase 2 is the Community Center.
What the Community Center Makes Possible
Cooperative housing works because of residents’ governance, decision-making, and the daily rhythms of community life. The Karwick Village Community Center will provide residents with the physical space that cooperative living requires:
• Shared laundry facilities, so families do not have to choose between clean clothes and the cost of a trip to the laundromat.
• A gathering space for cooperative meetings, where residents make the decisions that shape their community.
• Room for shared meals, holiday celebrations, and everyday neighboring that turns a development into a village.
• Space for learning and support opportunities, from financial literacy workshops to skill-sharing among residents.
• A welcoming hub where neighbors connect, lend a hand, and look out for one another.
As one Karwick Village Cooperative resident said about the project, “I’m excited for a place where we can connect and support each other.” That sentence captures the purpose of the cooperative model. The Community Center is the infrastructure that makes it possible.
Why Phase 2 Is Not a Nice-to-Have
A cooperative housing community without a community space is housing with the most important ingredient still missing. Residents have to meet, deliberate, and decide. Cooperative education is not optional. New members need onboarding, support, and ongoing learning. Community is not a byproduct of proximity. It works best when cultivated in shared spaces and experiences over time. Without the Community Center, residents are doing all that work without the building it requires.
The Community Center also supports sustainable future expansion. Every additional family we house at Karwick Village will rely on the same shared infrastructure. Building that infrastructure now, while Phase 1 is fresh and momentum is strong, lays the foundation for everything that comes next.
Why the Timing Matters
First, the need has not slowed down. La Porte County is short more than 1,400 affordable rental units. The 2025 Out of Reach Report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition found that 14 of Indiana’s top 20 most common occupations do not pay a housing wage. Every month that affordable housing infrastructure is lacking, working families in our community pay the price. By creating the space where the Karwick Village Cooperative thrives, we set our community up for the next phase of homes in our community.
Second, construction costs are not getting lower. Building materials, labor, and contractor availability all move in one direction over time. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index, which tracks sustained year-over-year increases in construction inputs, shows an upward trend in construction materials. The Community Center we can build today will likely cost significantly more to construct a year from now.
Third, we have matching support on the table now. Phase 1 was made possible because partners, foundations, and donors stepped forward at the right moment. The same is true for Phase 2. Matching gifts and sponsorship support are available for the Community Center campaign, which means every dollar given right now goes further than it will once that window closes.
What stands between Karwick Village and a fully cooperative community is a building we have already designed and a goal we are already 25% of the way toward achieving.
Where We Are Right Now
The Community Building Campaign has a fundraising goal of $120,000. We have raised $41,100, thanks to our generous sponsors and early supporters who recognized the impact this building will have on residents and the wider community.
That leaves $78,900 to raise. Sponsorship levels start at $1,000 and scale up to $10,000 for Foundation Sponsors who underwrite the structural construction itself. In-kind contributions of materials, services, and labor can also make a significant impact. Individual donations of any size move the campaign forward.
Phase 2 is not a distant promise. It is the building that turns Karwick Village into the village it was always meant to be and the home of our cooperative community.
If you have been waiting for the right moment to invest in something that lasts, this is it.
Ready to be part of Phase 2? Become a Community Center sponsor or make a gift to the campaign today.
