Sparrow Lansing will turn vacant houses into family homes
Sparrow calls it a “first-of-its-kind” initiative–one they hope will improve the neighborhood that surrounds the Lansing hospital.
Sparrow Hospital and the University of Michigan Health made the announcement this Wednesday that they plan to turn vacant houses in the area into family homes.
“Lansing is one of the most affordable cities in the country,” said Lansing Mayor Andy Schor. “And taking down housing is a problem, because we want to have that housing available for people to come live here.”
Margaret Dimond, Regional President for the University of Michigan Health, said that at first, these homes near downtown Lansing were set to be demolished. But that plan changed.
Instead, they will be refurbished and renovated.
“We’re here to meet the needs of our patients, but also our community and our neighbors,” Dimond said. “We’ve been in continuous dialogue about making improvements that will help impact the community.”
Sparrow Hospital and UM Health plan to restore vacant houses around the Lansing hospital and turn them into single-family homes. (WLNS)
Habitat for Humanity officials say they are looking to match the fixed-up houses with people in low-to-middle-income families.
What’s most exciting to me is not just that these homes will be single-family, owner-occupied homes, but that they will be homes for members of our community who might not otherwise have the ability to purchase a home,” said Brent Taylor, President of Habitat for Humanity Capital Region.
Neighbors say these houses have been vacant for years. They are looking forward to the project that they hope will make this area a vibrant place to live and work.
“They remain unoccupied for a while,” said Margaret Tassaro, President of Eastfield Neighborhood Association. “And, you know, no one wants to have a block of vacant houses in their neighborhood. We want neighbors. We want a community.”
Officials said state funds will be used to complete the project. Construction is set to begin in the next few months.
More about the Homeownership Program
At Habitat Capital Region, we believe that everyone deserves a safe, affordable place to call home. Unfortunately, statistics tell us that one in four households in the U.S. pays more than 30% of their income for housing and may have difficulty affording necessities such as food or clothing. So, we have spent the past 35+ years partnering with those who want to build better lives for themselves.
For more information about the Habitat Homeownership Program, check out our Homeownership page.
