Anew development aims to bring affordable housing to Michigan City.
Homeward Bound Villages broke ground on Karwick Village at 316 Karwick Road. It's billed as the first cooperative housing development in LaPorte County.
The apartment building will rent units for one to two people for $400 to $700 a month. It will serve people facing housing insecurity and serve as a model for future housing developments.
Once built out, Karwick Village will feature 12 units of 500 square feet. It will house up to 24 residents, limiting each unit to two residents.
"This project has been in development for a few years," Homeward Bound Villages President Sandi Keller said. "We've been planning to bring about a new model for a housing cooperative. It's a community land trust model, but the real unique aspect of it is that the day-to-day operations will be run by a cooperative. People pay a lease payment to take care of the day-to-day upkeep of the grounds and buildings. They can choose to put in a community garden or bike racks or do what they need to in order to keep the property running."
It's located near a bus stop and the Al's Supermarket at Karwick Plaza. Keller said it was important that residents be able to walk to the grocery store and use public transportation to get to work or medical appointments.
“We welcome Homeward Bound Villages for its innovative relationship-building community. With the commitment of our Michigan City Council and Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch’s contribution of $50,000 of the ARPA funds, also in partnership with LaPorte County government, which contributed a hundred thousand dollars. I think it's important to give those numbers because this is funding that directly is helping what's happening today," Michigan City Councilwoman Nancy Moldenhauer said. "We welcome Homeward Bound Villages for its affordable housing facet for residents.”
Leigh Coburn and John Vander Wagen founded the nonprofit about a decade ago and have been seeking to build affordable, cooperative housing to ensure people have stable, affordable houses in LaPorte County.
"They saw the rotating door of people experiencing homelessness," Keller said. "One little thing goes wrong and people don't have the support system to help."
Homeward Bound is making the housing affordable by making it small and high density.
"There is a trend of smaller households, whether older or not marrying or not having children or not having big families," she said. "That's a unique demographic, so we need the right size space for people so they can live sustainably in an adequately sized home."
They are looking for land donations as they plan other affordable housing projects in Northwest Indiana.
"There's a need for affordable housing around the country," she said. "It only makes sense to build sufficient spaces where people live together in a community."
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