Wayne County is helping to bring a new senior living community to the City of Detroit by donating $1 million in HOME Funds to the construction of Hartford Village; a new housing development being led by Hartford Memorial Baptist Church and Presbyterian Villages of Michigan. Today Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans took part in the groundbreaking ceremony.

“The need for safe, affordable housing options for seniors, that are in close proximity to important quality of life amenities, is a constant topic of discussion among the Wayne County seniors I meet with,” said County Executive Evans. “The Hartford Village community is a strong step toward meeting those needs; and we are pleased to be able to leverage our HOME funds to support this worthwhile housing development.”

Each year, Wayne County distributes HOME funds to eligible developers/partners to assist with providing equitable and affordable housing options to residents. In program year (PY) 2014, which ended June 30, 2015, Wayne County distributed more than $3.5 million in HOME funds. Hartford Village is the first project to receive HOME funding in PY 2015.

Other officials and partners in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony held at Northwest Activities Center included the City of Detroit, the Kresge Foundation and Michael Posenilli, Director of the Detroit Field Office at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The $17 million Hartford Village community will feature 39 - two bed, two bath independent living cottages and 45 - one and two bedroom independent living apartments with 24 hour on-site security. Designed for seniors 62 and over, Hartford Village features amenities like in-unit washer and dryer, barrier free accessibility and transportations services.

To learn more about Wayne County’s community development initiatives, visit waynecounty.com/communitydevelopment.