| |
|
|
|
Wayne
County’s
Freedom
Village
to help
resettle
refugees
in
Hamtramck
Program
leverages
federal
funds to
provide
housing
to
immigrants
and
refugees
HAMTRAMCK
- Wayne
County
is
partnering
with
Wayne
Metropolitan
Community
Action
Agency,
Samaritas
and the
city of
Hamtramck
as part
of
Freedom
Village,
a
resettlement
program
designed
to
provide
refugees
and
immigrants
with
transitional
affordable
housing.
Funded
with
federal
housing
dollars,
construction
of three
two-family
homes in
Hamtramck
is
already
underway
and
project
completion
is
expected
by the
summer
of 2020.
“Freedom
Village
seeks to
provide
a better
life to
low-income
refugees
and
immigrants
by
surrounding
them
with the
resources
they
need to
eventually
pursue
permanent
homeownership
opportunities,”
said
Wayne
County
Executive
Warren
C.
Evans.
“We are
a
welcoming
county
that
derives
its
strength
from the
diversity
of its
residents,
and this
project
epitomizes
that
core
value.”
The
purpose
of the
Hamtramck
project
is to
develop
new-construction
affordable
housing
on Wayne
County
Land
Bank-owned
parcels
in the
City of
Hamtramck,
with
Wayne
County
Metropolitan
Community
Action
Agency
serving
as the
property
developer
and
owner
and
Samaritas
serving
as the
refugee
placement
and
services
provider.
The
program
is
designed
to
leverage
partner
resources
to
provide
job
training,
school
readiness
and
homebuyer
assistance
that
better
position
the
families
to
pursue
permanent
home
ownership
opportunities
while
temporarily
housing
them
near
resources
like
Wayne
County’s
Federally
Qualified
Health
Center
in
Hamtramck.
“Freedom
Village
is a
beacon
of hope
and
compassion.
The
project
demonstrates
Wayne
County’s
commitment
to
America’s
longstanding
practice
of
helping
people
seeking
asylum,”
said
Wayne
Metro
CEO
Louis D.
Piszke.
“I
couldn’t
be more
proud
that
Wayne
Metro is
a
partner
in
welcoming
refugees
to our
community
where
they can
live and
breathe
free.”
The
Wayne
County
HOME
Investment
Partnerships
Program
(HOME),
a
federal
grant
program
through
the U.S.
Department
of
Housing
and
Development
(HUD),
is a
tool
that
supports
affordable
housing
by
providing
rental
housing
and
homeownership
opportunities
for
low-income
families.
“Samaritas
is
incredibly
excited
to be
partnering
with
Wayne
County
and
Wayne
Metro
for this
important
project
that
will
create
opportunities
for
affordable
transitional
housing
for the
New
Americans
families
in our
care,”
said Sam
Beals,
Samaritas
CEO. “Samaritas
is the
lead
organization
in
Michigan
helping
to
resettle
refugee
families
for more
than 70
years,
and
having
beautiful
builds
like
this
one,
appropriately
called,
Freedom
Village,
in
Hamtramck,
is much
needed
and a
great
location
for this
project
as a
welcoming
city in
metro
Detroit.”
A
development
agreement
between
the City
of
Hamtramck,
County
of
Wayne,
Wayne
Metropolitan
Community
Action
Agency,
Samaritas,
and the
Wayne
County
Land
Bank
Corporation
outlines
each
organization’s
responsibilities
under
this
unique
arrangement.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
I
HI TECH NEWS
I
SPORTS
I
