Independent Living Housing

Independent Living Housing, Inc. was born from a simple but powerful belief: that every person, regardless of ability or background, deserves the tools to live independently and with dignity.

 

Our founder began this work as a Sunday school teacher at Joy Road Church of God in Christ, leading a class of twenty-six young adults with learning disabilities.

 

What started as weekly lessons soon grew into something bigger, a conversation about how faith and life skills go hand in hand. From there, the mission expanded. Through Catholic Social Services in Highland Park, Michigan, we brought life skill programming to forty-three single mothers.

 

We set up in local parks, preparing home-cooked meals and holding presentations until a more permanent space could be secured. We partnered with Alternatives for Girls, working with young women twice a week for two years. We entered Detroit Public Schools and helped students discover their greatness.

 

Our founder carried this work largely on her own for many years. Though illness forced a pause, the mission never stopped. Today, Independent Living Housing has proudly served 3,000 Detroit Public School students, 140 Detroit area parents, and 110 families through our family self-esteem training program. Today, we connect residents across the United States to low-income housing resources, shelters, and support services.

 

And our newest chapter focuses on what we have always believed in building and renovating homes for individuals with learning disabilities, and for families living in poverty or low-to-moderate income situations.

 

We have come a long way from that 15-minute church presentation. And we are just getting started.