PONTIAC, Mich. – A Pontiac nonprofit aims to transform the lives of young adults aging out of the foster care system by helping them become homeowners without any cost to them.
Chosen Kingdom Builders has partnered with Creek Valley Properties to develop 22 furnished manufactured homes for former foster youth who often struggle to find stable housing.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 365,000 children were in the foster system on any given day in 2022.
In Michigan alone, over 1,600 young people age out of the system annually. Most wait an average of three years to be adopted, but for many, that day never comes.
“People who have gone through foster care often times have been given so many things, not in a bad way, because they need it, because they have been left so far behind a lot of times,” said Kwanzel Howerton, founder and director of Chosen Kingdom Builders. “But oftentimes they’re not taught what to do with those resources. So when they hit 24, 25, 26, homelessness is at an all-time high.”
Each 1,300-square-foot residence will feature three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a detached garage.
The homes are expected to be ready for occupancy in about four months.
“To have gone through this process for well over a year and a half, to get to this point where we are so close to construction, through working with the city and getting the land, and getting the approvals done, working with the manufacturer and working with our builders, to get to this point is exciting,” said Justin Ibe, managing partner of Creek Valley Properties.
Chosen Kingdom Builders will provide crucial support services, including financial literacy training and workforce development, to ensure residents thrive as homeowners.
“Our goal is to reframe the mindset, to teach them, ‘Ok, now you have the resources, what are you going to do? What’s your next step?’” Howerton said. “We can help empower you, but you have to take the leadership position in your own life.”
