Porch Light Partnership wins award for restoring Ferndale homes

The Porch Light Partnership may not be having the best luck selling homes in Ferndale but it is getting a bit of good recognition.

The non-profit recently won an award from the ICMA. The organization’s annual awards program honors creative contributions to the management of local governments that help enhance the quality of life in communities. Porch Light won for its innovating, multi-participant involvement that is improving the life of people on Ferndale‘s east side.

Porch Light specializes in turning potential blighted homes in otherwise strong neighborhoods into solid domiciles by restoring them and selling them to first-time homebuyers. The idea is to improve the city’s neighborhoods at the grassroots level, one house at a time.

Last year it bought and restored three homes in Ferndale between 8 and 10 mile roads east of Woodward Avenue. Although it hasn’t been able to sell any of them (it’s a challenging market for even the best deals), it is still reaching out to the community to find first time homebuyers for them. It hopes to buy and rehab another three once one of the original three have sold.

The Oakland County Lighthouse Community Development is overseeing the partnership, along with the city of Ferndale and Paramount Bank. The Porch Light Partnership is utilizing $415,000 in federal HUD funds to purchase and rehabilitate six homes.

For information, call (248) 920-6060 ext. 2400.

Source: Karen Staley, deputy director of Oakland County Lighthouse Community Development
Writer: Jon Zemke