Presbyterian Villages of Michigan
Southfield, Mich.

Over ten years ago, although Presbyterian Villages of Michigan served seniors of all faiths, it primarily served older adults in the Detroit suburbs. Then, the organization made the strategic decision to serve seniors living in the city and built its first senior-living community there, The Village of Bethany Manor. Today, Presbyterian Villages of Michigan serves 350 seniors in five communities throughout Detroit and will build a sixth next year. These communities have been built through partnerships with various government, civic and religious groups, medical services and African American fraternities. National groups such as the National Caucus and Center on Black Aged supported the early conceptual development, as well.

Since 1998, 14 Detroit nursing homes have closed, resulting in nearly 1,500 lost beds and more than 1,100 relocated residents. Recognizing the decrease in options for frail older adults in the city, Presbyterian Villages approached multiple groups about opportunities for building Green Houses in the inner city, utilizing community services already in place. In 2005, $200,000 in federal funding was secured for this purpose. The vision for the Green Houses of Detroit is to develop a template for building Green Houses in a neighborhood than can be replicated throughout the state. Presbyterian Villages of Michigan believes that building these Green Houses will be a positive step toward equalizing the services offered in the inner city versus elsewhere.