Charlena’s Story:

Charlena Banks was purchasing the house on the East Side of Detroit from a landlord that didn’t officially hold a deed to the house and own it. The moment she became aware of this fact was the same moment she was served an eviction notice and told she needed to vacate the house, even after paying the landlord over $2,000 of her hard earned money. Through a partnership between Wayne Metro and Detroit Land Bank Authority, Charlena was able to purchase the house through the DLBA Buy Back Program. After a deposit of $1,000 and paying the taxes on the property for 12 months, that house will finally be a home for her, her partner and their three children.

Project Description:

Charlena and her family are committed to making their new home a healthy, sustainable, safe, and cost-efficient environment for the family of five to live and thrive. Project Green Home Detroit, created by EcoWorks and supported by multiple community partners, will transform the Banks family’s environmentally inefficient home through weatherization and the installation of energy efficient appliances and materials. Importantly, this transformation will include a well rounded education on environmentally- and sustainably-conscious practices.

For more information about the project, please visit: ecoworksdetroit.org/projectgreenhomedetroit

Mission:

To empower the family with the tools to live a green and healthy lifestyle in the city of Detroit.

Vision:

After successfully transforming the Banks home, we envision that this program will inspire Detroiters to work towards a greener way of living in their own homes.