We, Robert and Kathleen Raskin of Las Vegas, are happy to bring you a bit of good news this week. The city of Detroit’s struggles are well-known, but one organization and many local volunteers have come together to create the city’s first new housing development in many years for the sole purpose of giving a hand up to residents who have no other path to housing or financial stability. This project is benefitting former foster children by helping them to build a financial future, because once they rent these affordable units for seven years they will have the option to buy them.

A Chance to Achieve the American Dream
Owning a home is the American dream, but for many former foster children who have aged out of the system and are struggling to provide basic necessities, it is a dream that will never come true. Former foster children are included in the group of economically disadvantaged Detroit residents who are benefitting from the Cass Community Center Tiny Homes Project. These houses are architecturally unique, and each measures between 250 and 400 square feet—though they feel much roomier inside thanks to their design. Herman Miller and Interior Lifestyles donated both furniture and time to the project, and many employees of Ford Motors also helped to build the homes, as did other volunteers.

It warms our hearts to see a community like this one coming together to help these young people, many of whom became disadvantaged when they became pawns of the system. We, Robert and Kathleen Raskin, hope this trend continues, because a society is only as strong as its weakest members.