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The HOPE Village community is located near the geographic center of Detroit, at the intersection of the Lodge and Davison Freeways. The community is approximately one square mile in size and is home to approximately 5,300 residents. It contains approximately 1,700 housing units, 23 churches, and 75 businesses. The community is 97% African American and has high unemployment rates and low educational attainment rates. Poverty levels for children in the HOPE Village are about three times the state and national averages.
Established in 2010, The HOPE Village Initiative is a long-term, comprehensive, place-based initiative designed by Focus: HOPE to radically change the odds of success for children, their families and the neighborhoods within the HOPE Village, working arm in arm with neighborhood residents. The HOPE Village Initiative aims to create a pipeline of opportunity for neighborhood residents, with strong supports and access to opportunity from cradle to post-secondary education. The goal of HOPE Village is to ensure that by the year 2031, 100% of the residents in the service area will be educationally well-prepared, economically self-sufficient, and living in a safe and supportive environment.
Although residents in the HOPE Village are not using terms like "eco", "organic" or "energy efficient,” they have known for decades the importance of saving rain water, keeping gardens, insulating their homes during the bitter winters, and even sharing electricity with neighbors during times of need. Throughout the community, families are actively planting and tending to rain gardens, designating green space and attempting to incorporate this activity into what they do for a living.
Designation as an inaugural EcoDistrict not only reflects the aspirations of the HOPE Village community, but will also provide recognition and support for the cutting-edge sustainability projects already underway, including what will be the first LEED Platinum home rehab in the city, and a solar feasibility study, examining the potential for solar power generation in the neighborhood. To learn more about Focus: HOPE and it's initiatives in HOPE Village please visit the Focus: HOPE website. Feel free to donate or contact them with questions or opportunities.
