Marc’s MessageWe are excited to announce that our commitment to the Unity Park neighborhood in Pontiac will continue with the building of 12 additional brand-new homes in the Unity Park Rentals development.

The new construction, Unity Park Rentals, Phase 3, will also include special needs units and is being made possible by the tax credit reservation from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).

We plan to break ground in October 2015 with occupancy expected by early summer 2016. All of the homes will be built on properties that were once vacant, blighted or foreclosed.

These new homes, along with the 32 just-completed and leased up earlier this year, means we will have brought in 44 brand-new construction homes scattered throughout the southeastern

This newsletter is made possible with the support of the

Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority.

Community Housing Network570 Kirts Blvd., Suite 231

Troy, MI 48084Phone: 248-928-0111Fax: 248-928-0122

Toll Free: 866-282-3119Web: communityhousingnetwork.org

CHN Board of Directors

CHN Management TeamMarc Craig, President

Dawn Pischel, J.D., Vice President of Programs and Operations

Kirsten Elliott, Vice President of Development

Carrie Mendoza, Vice President/CFO

Thomas H. Landry, Chair Cindy Boudreau

Troy A. Butler, M.A.Elmer L. Cerano

Jon M. FoxMary HamiltonKiesha Jones

EQUAL HOUSINGOPPORTUNITY

Paul T. LandryCharles O’Connor Sr.

William L. Robinson, Jr.Yvette Thomas

Lou Ann TompkinsJermaine Wells

Mark Wiedelman

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU WANT!Do you prefer to receive this newsletter (Network News) and our e-newsletter (e-Network News)? Or just one or the other? Email Marylynn G. Hewitt: mghewitt@chninc.netand let her know! We want to meet your needs.

PHONE: 248.928.0111TOLL FREE: 866.282.3119

FAX: 248.928.0122570 Kirts Blvd. • Suite 231 • Troy, MI 48084

communityhousingnetwork.org

Pontiac neighborhood. Along with the homes, we have dedicated a community revitalization coordinator to the neighborhood, have built a community center, continued our work with the community garden and created a community newsletter.

Our first foray into the neighborhood started in 2012 when we, along with our partner, Venture, Inc., built 12 brand new homes offering homeownership opportunities for those who dreamed of owning their own home.

With our investment, we have seen more and more neighbors coming together and long-time homeowners develop a renewed sense of pride in their own property. The difference is all because someone said and showed they cared. You, our friends and donors have done the same for us through the years. Thank you for your continued partnership.

SUMMER 2015

People searching to meet specialized housing needs in Wayne County will benefit from Community Housing Integration Portal (CHIP), a searchable interactive mapping tool showing housing availability as well as bus routes, grocery stores, post offices, hospitals, schools, libraries and other amenities.

The CHIP project is a two-year collaborative effort between Community Housing Network and Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority (DWMHA). CHIP will grant DWMHA’s constituents the power to assess permanent supportive and special needs housing options and detailed information about each housing unit and surrounding amenities, empowering them to live a self-determined life, said Nathan Barnes, CHN Housing Development analyst and CHIP project supervisor.

The initial phase of the project began in July and will end September 30th. During this phase, we have assembled a specialized team and opened a project headquarters in Detroit. The construction of the mapping infrastructure and community engagement efforts are ongoing.

Data collection for all of the targeted housing units in Wayne County will start in October of this year and is anticipated to be completed in September 2017.

CHN collaborates to make housinginfo more accessible

Wayne County mapping tool

Three CHIP surveyors will be going to each unit on lists provided by DWMHA and other providers in order to profile the units from a structural standpoint and accessibility.

CHN and DWMHA staff have estimated the number of units to be surveyed at 5,500. The scope of the project is large, but it will provide all involved a better understanding of the quantity and quality of special needs housing in Wayne County.

Nathan Barnes

The CHIP map will allow for targeted search areas for permanent supportive and special needs housing options.

The interactive map allows for easy searching of a wide variety of amenities near housing options.

NETWORK NEWS • SUMMER 2015PAGE 2

Construction advanced swiftly through the summer on our Grafton Townhomes, the 48-unit development we are building in Eastpointe. We are investing $11 million, our largest development to date, and will provide quality affordable housing for 48 low- and moderate-income households, including 12 with special needs.

Ground was broken for the development in May and occupancy is expected to begin in 2016.

We have contracted with Detroit Drone to document progress and videos showing the construction phases are available on our website at www.communityhousingnetwork.org/grafton.

Summer brings quick progress at Grafton Townhomes

VISIT US ONLINE @ COMMUNITYHOUSINGNETWORK.ORG PAGE 3

Bring it Home, our annual fundraising event showcasing our work opening doors and transforming lives, will be Thursday, October 15, 6-9:30 p.m. at the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester. The evening offers networking, appetizers, an open bar, a sit-down dinner and live and silent auctions. One person who now is able to offer the greeting, “Welcome to my home,” will be honored with the fifth annual Emmett Jones Memorial Award. This annual award is presented to a program participant who has successfully come through the program and in 2014 was presented to James Finley. We hope you can join us as we engage in the opportunity to provide inclusive long-term hous-ing and housing resources for people who are homeless, have a disability, are domestic

violence victims and/or have low income, and other vulnerable residents of Southeast Michigan.

Last year, Bring it Home raised more than $100,000 in revenue and more than $27,000 in goods and

services. $20,000 of this went to the Adopt a Family program (See story, Page 2).

A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available. CHN is always seeking new sponsorships along with fun, unique auction items.

If you are interested in sponsoring or donating an auction item, please contact Lisa Fuhr, Special Events and Volunteer coordinator, at Lfuhr@chninc.net or 248-824-7313 for more information.

Bring it Home is October 15

We were instrumental in helping to bring the Little Free Library program to the Unity Park neighborhood in Pontiac.

The first of the four Little Free Library boxes was installed and dedicated August 29 at Mattie McKinney Hatchett Park. That was the day there was a ribbon cutting at the park named for the woman

who served the Pontiac schools for more than 50 years, served more than a dozen years as Oakland

County commissioner and was also deputy mayor. Her motto, painted on the park sign we donated, is “One can and will make a difference.”

The Little Free Library project was a community effort as all four of the boxes were built by seniors at the Waterford Senior Center and painted by artists involved with The Art Experience. One of the artists said painting the Little Free Library became art therapy for her during an illness.

Books for the libraries have been donated by graduate students of Oakland University’s Masters of Public Administration program, Macy’s and others.

CHN brings Little Free Library to Unity Park

We hope you can join us!

If you, or someone you know, would like to inquire about living at Grafton Townhomes, please call our Housing Resource Center at 248-928-0111.

Every year, through the generosity of donors and community members, we are able to offer an Adopt A Family program at the holidays to provide basic necessities, and a wish or two, for those in our housing programs.

In 2014, a total of 760 people, many who had just moved from homelessness to housing, were served! This year, we are hoping to help even more people.

Volunteers and donors – families, organizations, offices, work sites, service clubs, classrooms and groups of any nature – help make this program a success. If you, your family, your workplace, your service club, your classroom or any other group in which you are a member, would like to be involved, we would be most grateful!

Participant wish lists include basic items with the most-requested items being warm coats, boots, hats, gloves, sheets and washcloths.

Looking for a holiday volunteer opportunity?Donors are asked to shop for items from a participant’s wish list, spending no more than $100 per recipient, and return the new and unused gifts wrapped and labeled by December 7. Participant wish lists usually include basic items such as warm coats, boots, hats, gloves – and a special wish or two.

“This is my fourth year working on the Adopt A

Family program” said Lisa Fuhr, our special events and volunteer coordinator. “It’s a truly heartwarming event.”

To adopt a family or individual, or donate general items, please contact Lisa Fuhr at LFuhr@chninc.net or 248-824-7313. More information is available at www.communityhousingnetwork.org/adoptafamily. Donations can be made by clicking on the dropdown tab in the donation section of our website, www.communityhousingnetwork.org.

This September 3 image by Detroit Drone shows the construction headway made already at Grafton Townhomes.

Surrounded by Adopt A Family gifts in December 2014 are members of the executive team, from left: Marc Craig, president; Kristin Elliott, VP of Development; Dawn Calnen-Pischel, VP of Programs and Operations; and Carrie Mendoza, VP/Chief Financial Officer.

The first of four Little Free Library boxes in Unity Park was installed at Mattie McKinney Hatchett Park.

From left: Thomas Landry, chairman of the CHN Board of Directors; Marc Craig, CHN president

Audra Westberg and James Finley, the recipient of the 2014 Emmett

Jones Memorial Award.

NETWORK NEWS • SUMMER 2015PAGE 2

Construction advanced swiftly through the summer on our Grafton Townhomes, the 48-unit development we are building in Eastpointe. We are investing $11 million, our largest development to date, and will provide quality affordable housing for 48 low- and moderate-income households, including 12 with special needs.

Ground was broken for the development in May and occupancy is expected to begin in 2016.

We have contracted with Detroit Drone to document progress and videos showing the construction phases are available on our website at www.communityhousingnetwork.org/grafton.

Summer brings quick progress at Grafton Townhomes

VISIT US ONLINE @ COMMUNITYHOUSINGNETWORK.ORG PAGE 3

Bring it Home, our annual fundraising event showcasing our work opening doors and transforming lives, will be Thursday, October 15, 6-9:30 p.m. at the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester. The evening offers networking, appetizers, an open bar, a sit-down dinner and live and silent auctions. One person who now is able to offer the greeting, “Welcome to my home,” will be honored with the fifth annual Emmett Jones Memorial Award. This annual award is presented to a program participant who has successfully come through the program and in 2014 was presented to James Finley. We hope you can join us as we engage in the opportunity to provide inclusive long-term hous-ing and housing resources for people who are homeless, have a disability, are domestic

violence victims and/or have low income, and other vulnerable residents of Southeast Michigan.

Last year, Bring it Home raised more than $100,000 in revenue and more than $27,000 in goods and

services. $20,000 of this went to the Adopt a Family program (See story, Page 2).

A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available. CHN is always seeking new sponsorships along with fun, unique auction items.

If you are interested in sponsoring or donating an auction item, please contact Lisa Fuhr, Special Events and Volunteer coordinator, at Lfuhr@chninc.net or 248-824-7313 for more information.

Bring it Home is October 15

We were instrumental in helping to bring the Little Free Library program to the Unity Park neighborhood in Pontiac.

The first of the four Little Free Library boxes was installed and dedicated August 29 at Mattie McKinney Hatchett Park. That was the day there was a ribbon cutting at the park named for the woman

who served the Pontiac schools for more than 50 years, served more than a dozen years as Oakland

County commissioner and was also deputy mayor. Her motto, painted on the park sign we donated, is “One can and will make a difference.”

The Little Free Library project was a community effort as all four of the boxes were built by seniors at the Waterford Senior Center and painted by artists involved with The Art Experience. One of the artists said painting the Little Free Library became art therapy for her during an illness.

Books for the libraries have been donated by graduate students of Oakland University’s Masters of Public Administration program, Macy’s and others.

CHN brings Little Free Library to Unity Park

We hope you can join us!

If you, or someone you know, would like to inquire about living at Grafton Townhomes, please call our Housing Resource Center at 248-928-0111.

Every year, through the generosity of donors and community members, we are able to offer an Adopt A Family program at the holidays to provide basic necessities, and a wish or two, for those in our housing programs.

In 2014, a total of 760 people, many who had just moved from homelessness to housing, were served! This year, we are hoping to help even more people.

Volunteers and donors – families, organizations, offices, work sites, service clubs, classrooms and groups of any nature – help make this program a success. If you, your family, your workplace, your service club, your classroom or any other group in which you are a member, would like to be involved, we would be most grateful!

Participant wish lists include basic items with the most-requested items being warm coats, boots, hats, gloves, sheets and washcloths.

Looking for a holiday volunteer opportunity?Donors are asked to shop for items from a participant’s wish list, spending no more than $100 per recipient, and return the new and unused gifts wrapped and labeled by December 7. Participant wish lists usually include basic items such as warm coats, boots, hats, gloves – and a special wish or two.

“This is my fourth year working on the Adopt A

Family program” said Lisa Fuhr, our special events and volunteer coordinator. “It’s a truly heartwarming event.”

To adopt a family or individual, or donate general items, please contact Lisa Fuhr at LFuhr@chninc.net or 248-824-7313. More information is available at www.communityhousingnetwork.org/adoptafamily. Donations can be made by clicking on the dropdown tab in the donation section of our website, www.communityhousingnetwork.org.

This September 3 image by Detroit Drone shows the construction headway made already at Grafton Townhomes.

Surrounded by Adopt A Family gifts in December 2014 are members of the executive team, from left: Marc Craig, president; Kristin Elliott, VP of Development; Dawn Calnen-Pischel, VP of Programs and Operations; and Carrie Mendoza, VP/Chief Financial Officer.

The first of four Little Free Library boxes in Unity Park was installed at Mattie McKinney Hatchett Park.

From left: Thomas Landry, chairman of the CHN Board of Directors; Marc Craig, CHN president

Audra Westberg and James Finley, the recipient of the 2014 Emmett

Jones Memorial Award.

Marc’s MessageWe are excited to announce that our commitment to the Unity Park neighborhood in Pontiac will continue with the building of 12 additional brand-new homes in the Unity Park Rentals development.

The new construction, Unity Park Rentals, Phase 3, will also include special needs units and is being made possible by the tax credit reservation from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).

We plan to break ground in October 2015 with occupancy expected by early summer 2016. All of the homes will be built on properties that were once vacant, blighted or foreclosed.

These new homes, along with the 32 just-completed and leased up earlier this year, means we will have brought in 44 brand-new construction homes scattered throughout the southeastern

This newsletter is made possible with the support of the

Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority.

Community Housing Network570 Kirts Blvd., Suite 231

Troy, MI 48084Phone: 248-928-0111Fax: 248-928-0122

Toll Free: 866-282-3119Web: communityhousingnetwork.org

CHN Board of Directors

CHN Management TeamMarc Craig, President

Dawn Pischel, J.D., Vice President of Programs and Operations

Kirsten Elliott, Vice President of Development

Carrie Mendoza, Vice President/CFO

Thomas H. Landry, Chair Cindy Boudreau

Troy A. Butler, M.A.Elmer L. Cerano

Jon M. FoxMary HamiltonKiesha Jones

EQUAL HOUSINGOPPORTUNITY

Paul T. LandryCharles O’Connor Sr.

William L. Robinson, Jr.Yvette Thomas

Lou Ann TompkinsJermaine Wells

Mark Wiedelman

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU WANT!Do you prefer to receive this newsletter (Network News) and our e-newsletter (e-Network News)? Or just one or the other? Email Marylynn G. Hewitt: mghewitt@chninc.netand let her know! We want to meet your needs.

PHONE: 248.928.0111TOLL FREE: 866.282.3119

FAX: 248.928.0122570 Kirts Blvd. • Suite 231 • Troy, MI 48084

communityhousingnetwork.org

Pontiac neighborhood. Along with the homes, we have dedicated a community revitalization coordinator to the neighborhood, have built a community center, continued our work with the community garden and created a community newsletter.

Our first foray into the neighborhood started in 2012 when we, along with our partner, Venture, Inc., built 12 brand new homes offering homeownership opportunities for those who dreamed of owning their own home.

With our investment, we have seen more and more neighbors coming together and long-time homeowners develop a renewed sense of pride in their own property. The difference is all because someone said and showed they cared. You, our friends and donors have done the same for us through the years. Thank you for your continued partnership.

SUMMER 2015

People searching to meet specialized housing needs in Wayne County will benefit from Community Housing Integration Portal (CHIP), a searchable interactive mapping tool showing housing availability as well as bus routes, grocery stores, post offices, hospitals, schools, libraries and other amenities.

The CHIP project is a two-year collaborative effort between Community Housing Network and Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority (DWMHA). CHIP will grant DWMHA’s constituents the power to assess permanent supportive and special needs housing options and detailed information about each housing unit and surrounding amenities, empowering them to live a self-determined life, said Nathan Barnes, CHN Housing Development analyst and CHIP project supervisor.

The initial phase of the project began in July and will end September 30th. During this phase, we have assembled a specialized team and opened a project headquarters in Detroit. The construction of the mapping infrastructure and community engagement efforts are ongoing.

Data collection for all of the targeted housing units in Wayne County will start in October of this year and is anticipated to be completed in September 2017.

CHN collaborates to make housinginfo more accessible

Wayne County mapping tool

Three CHIP surveyors will be going to each unit on lists provided by DWMHA and other providers in order to profile the units from a structural standpoint and accessibility.

CHN and DWMHA staff have estimated the number of units to be surveyed at 5,500. The scope of the project is large, but it will provide all involved a better understanding of the quantity and quality of special needs housing in Wayne County.

Nathan Barnes

The CHIP map will allow for targeted search areas for permanent supportive and special needs housing options.

The interactive map allows for easy searching of a wide variety of amenities near housing options.