About Us.
Bringing People Together for Individuals at 30% of the Area Median Income to Have Stability, Support, and Sense of Belonging.
Higher Ground Abodes
The people behind Higher Ground Abodes are everyday citizens, most of whom are current and former public health and safety professionals. Collectively, we have more than 100 years of experience in the public sector and believe the resources exist to address our housing crisis. With individuals and communities joining together, everyone who wants to can have a home.
To this end, however, people who are extremely poor and alone struggle. Most depend on systems that are designed to capitalize on their lack. It is hard to believe, but most of these people live on less than $850 a month. To put this in context, the average rent for a Detroit studio apartment is $600 a month. Is there any wonder why so many people in this group end up living on the street or out of their cars?
Some good government support exists. In our many years, we have developed some. However, our tax dollars only go so far. As well, there is often “red tape” that results in as much as 1/3 of the funds going for administrative costs. As a 501c3, Higher Ground Abodes does not have the same restrictions, and we can raise money that is then tax-free. Moreover, our board pays all of its operating costs out of pocket, so 100% of the funds raised go toward putting someone in a home. And, unlike some other home developers, profit is not our aim. Our charitable mission is to make sure people, regardless of income, can have a home.
Higher Ground Abodes offers unique support to the Detroit area. With our village approach to the establishment and sustainability of housing, people can ultimately have a home that they call their own. As former Board Member Darryl Cornwell said, this “model addresses many issues with our system while placing people on track to home ownership.
As a 12-year-old, Donna Coulter, President and CEO of Higher Ground Abodes, questioned:
‘What if people like her Veteran neighbor, who seemed to have no where to stay, could share a home with people like himself and better his life by living with others like himself, and together they help each other.’
From years of working with very poor people as an administrator for a mental health organization, Donna awakened to the idea that housing cooperatives could be a way for extremely low-income people to move beyond their impoverished circumstances.
Ultimately, she pulled together a group of other like-minded people from her job, community, and church to help bring the vision to life. Read more
Members of the Board
A team of public health and safety experts with collectively nearly 200 years of experience.
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Chad Witcher
Chair
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Sandy Peppers
Secretary
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Tonja Stapleton
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ArReana Jackson
Together we can help Extremely Low-Income People from housing instability to housing stability.
“The HGA model addresses many issues with our housing system… while placing people on track to homeownership.”
Darryl Cornwell, a former board member.