With applications for Karwick Village opening up shortly, one question we are receiving frequently is, “Who is Karwick Village for?” The simplest answer is that Karwick Village is for La Porte County residents who are in need of affordable housing, have a regular income, and want to live in a cooperative-style community. We are sharing three entirely fictionalized stories that illustrate the type of individuals we believe would be a great fit for Karwick Village. While these three fictionalized stories give an idea of our ideal resident, they are by no means definitive. So, if you are interested in becoming a resident at Karwick Village, we invite you to start the process by attending one of our information sessions. You can learn more about that here. (insert link)
Margaret’s Story: Health Challenges
Margaret had worked as an administrative assistant for thirty-two years before the layoffs came. At sixty-three, with arthritis making her fingers stiff and diabetes requiring careful management, the cost of her medical care outpaced her income when she was working. Now she works a job at another company, but the pay is only $11 per hour without benefits. Her housing situation is unstable; she is renting a room from a friend for now, but she knows this is not a long-term solution for her or her friend.
David’s Transition
David never thought he’d find himself living in a shelter for unhoused individuals. The day he walked through the doors was his lowest point and the beginning of a new lease on life. David worked the program at the shelter and has worked hard to rebuild his life. For the past six months, David saved his money and worked two jobs to save for a place of his own. The list for subsidized housing has a three-year waitlist for single men, giving priority to families. Despite working so hard, it feels like the finish line keeps moving further as rent continues to rise in his community. He’s thought about moving outside of town, but this means a longer commute, more gas, and more costs. If he could only find an affordable unit where he could be part of a community, this would mean the world to him.
Megan’s Dilemma
Megan had cleaned offices for eight years, taking pride in her meticulous work and earning commendations from building managers who trusted her with their keys. When the cleaning company lost its biggest contract, Megan found herself without work, struggling to support her twelve-year-old son Tommy on her dwindling savings. They’d been staying at her brother’s house, but the cramped conditions were affecting Tommy’s schoolwork, and her brother’s patience was wearing thin. The housing authority finally called with good news: a unit was available immediately. But when Megan visited the address with Tommy, her heart sank at the sight of the housing project, its corridors echoing with arguments and slamming doors, children running wild through hallways that reeked. Megan had grown up in a quiet suburb where neighbors watched out for each other’s kids, and she watched Tommy’s eyes grow wide with fear at the chaos. She wondered if accepting this housing meant exposing her son to dangers she’d spent years trying to protect him from, trading their temporary instability for a different kind of insecurity in a place where getting lost in the crowd might not be protection, but peril.
Margret, David, and Megan’s stories, while completely fictionalized, they share common elements with so many in our community; nice and affordable living could transform their lives. If you can relate to any of these stories, or if you think that you’d be an excellent fit for the affordable cooperative community at Karwick village we encourage you to attend one of our upcoming resident information sessions to learn all about Karwick Village. Affordable housing, in a cooperative community, would be an ideal situation for the examples given today.
If you have questions about Karwick Village or residency at Karwick Village, please feel free to reach out to us at info@homewardboundvillages.org.
