OAKMAN PLACE APARTMENTS
BACKGROUND
Lutheran Child & Family Service of Michigan (LCFS) has provided service to Michigan’s children and families through foster care, adoption, counseling and family preservation services for more than 111 years. Through this work with children and families, LCFS has identified that the lack of safe and affordable housing is one of the most significant challenges facing our children and families, particularly young adults. A survey of former Wayne County foster care youth revealed that 47% of the respondents have experienced one or more periods of homelessness prior to age 20 and 23% were homeless immediately upon leaving foster care.
Homeless youth move into the newly constructed Oakman Place Apartments. Click here to take a first-hand look at them with their new home.
OAKMAN PLACE
LCFS and The Damone Group have developed 9 one bedroom and 15 two bedroom units on Oakman Blvd, just east of the Focus:HOPE campus. The 9 one bedroom units are reserved for homeless youth and one of the two bedroom units for homeless families. The remaining units have been made available to families at 60% AMI (Area Media Income) or below. The project is located in a designated “cool cities” neighborhood.
SUPPORT SERVICES
LCFS provides an opportunity for homeless youth to obtain housing and supportive services as they move into the adult world of self-sufficiency and independence. Supportive services are provided onsite. Each resident youth receives the services of a case manager, an educational liaison and an employment specialist. The case manager has primary responsibility for developing a service plan with the youth or family and monitors service delivery. The educational liaison completes an educational assessment, provides input into the services plan, assists youth in developing an individual education plan which sets reasonable goals for high school completion, vocational training or college and monitor educational progress. The employment specialist completes a career interest and aptitude inventory with each client and prepares employment recommendations for inclusion in the services plan. The employment specialist is responsible for job skills training and the financial literacy curriculum. Access to public transportation allows youth to travel to work, personal appointments and to attend school.
SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS
Development of Oakman Place was an ongoing collaborative involving Focus:HOPE, residents of the community, the Wayne County Continuum of Care-Homeless Coalition, the City of Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), the Oakman Boulevard Community Association (OBCA) and LCFS.
The Damone Group of Troy, the construction firm for Oakman Place, has 35 years of experience in developing a broad range of residential, commercial, retail and industrial projects throughout the Detroit area.
Fusco, Shaffer & Pappas, Inc., the architectural firm for Oakman Place, also has extensive architectural experience in designing and building many affordable housing projects throughout the Detroit area.
Oakman Place Apartments are located at 811 Oakman Blvd., Detroit, MI 48238 and are managed by LHM Asset Management, LLC, an experienced MSHDA and HUD property management company. Questions regarding availability, rent or applications may be directed to Dennis Krafft, email: dkrafft@agingenriched.org , phone number 989-652-3667 x 5203.