New Path Villages
Detroit
New Path Villages Detroit
New Path Villages Detroit is an emergency shelter-type micro-housing community located on the east side of Detroit. It will be opened to serve all otherwise unhoused individuals and couples, including same-sex couples, transgender / LGBTQ people.
This type of village offers a cost-effective means for providing shelter options while preserving individual autonomy, privacy, and responsibility. This Village will change people from being seen as unrelated homeless individuals to being part of a community of people temporarily displaced.
The residents having a say in how the Village is run gives people a sense of agency, communal accountability, self-respect, and worth that most common space shelters cannot offer. The village will be run by the people who live in it, with oversight and support provided by the New Path Advisory Committee.
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The village will be located behind the affiliated church at 4103 Cadillac Blvd, Detroit MI 48214.
Bridging the Gap
It’s our belief that everyone deserves a safe and stable place to call home. New Path Villages seeks to bridge the often insurmountable gap between
the street and conventional housing with a variety of inclusive, cost-effective housing options.
Community Building
We go beyond building individual tiny houses. New Path Villages Detroit builds a democratic community in which each resident has a voice in shaping how their community is operated and managed—creating a foundational sense of ownership on which the village thrives.
Collaborative Initiatives
Our approach is committed to engaging village residents and the surrounding community in the process; thus New Path Villages not only builds affordable housing, we build equity through diverse community collaborations. By utilizing the resources around us, we can create more housing opportunities for those in need.
The Living Quarters will be tiny frame-built homes, approximately 240 square feet in size. They will be supported by shared facilities for cooking, restrooms, laundry, and gathering areas. New Path Villages Detroit is built with community in mind. Because each home is only so big (human sized) – residents are oriented to spend more time outside of their personal dwellings and in common spaces. This is an opportunity for healing
as many have experienced isolation throughout their time on the streets and in large, open shelter facilities.
Each structure will be composed of pre-manufactured panels. Residents will take part in the construction of these dwellings. Each structure will have an electrical line and a heating/cooling source. This program’s goal is to ensure residents’ basic needs--stability, security, privacy, and the ability to stay warm and dry are met; a vast improvement from being on the streets or in a shelter.
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Self-governance is a core value of New Path Villages Detroit. The success of the village needs the participation of those who live there.
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Weekly meetings for all residents to discuss plans and issues including inclusion as well as expulsion.
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New Path Villages will have an Advisory Council to uphold orderly management of the village.
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Those elected are given the task of responding to incidents when criminal/violent behavior occurs.
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New Path Villages Advisory Council will be in place to provide oversight and guidance with discretion.
In addition to providing housing, the village will incorporate several training programs on-site designed to:
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Teach residents skills to help them gain future employment.
We will have a large community garden on the property. We
will also have a machine shop for both metal and woodworking.
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To generate income to sustain the village.
All residents will be urged to attend training sessions in these and other skills. We will also bring in tradespeople and artists to oversee the creation of large-scale art projects to be built by the residents as part of their skills training. These art pieces will be sold to local businesses and individuals to help fund the village.
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Training Programs
Village Security
The Front Desk is the only gateway in and out of the village and shall remain secure. Staffing the front desk is one of the most important duties. Only residents and New Path Villages volunteers may enter the village unaccompanied.
Weapons are not allowed on New Path Villages Detroit premises. Drugs and alcohol sales / criminal activity are not allowed on either New Path Villages Detroit premises nor in the surrounding neighborhood.
