Detroit has a new writer in residence thanks to the people at Write A House. On Tuesday Anne Elizabeth Moore received the keys to her house in the Banglatown neighborhood of Detroit. Along with her new keys Moore received a Spirit of Detroit award from District Three Councilman Scott Benson.
Moore is an acclaimed writer, artist, editor and a cultural critic from Chicago. She is the third writer to receive a free house through the Write A House program. Moore has traveled the world, but has finally found a home in Detroit.
“When Write A House offered me a chance to move to Detroit it became clear I have to live here,” said Moore. “This is an amazing house to live in.”
Write A House also announced that they have a fourth winner for a house that will be completed in the fall. The winner is Nandi Comer and she is a local poet. They are currently raising funds to help renovate this new home. Comer is the first local writer to receive a house through the program.
The homes that Write A House buys are from the Detroit Land Bank. These homes have been abandoned. They are stripped of the hvac systems and plumbing. These abandoned houses are then turn them into habitable homes for writers.
Apprentices from the Detroiters Working For Environmental Justice renovate the homes. This helps with one of the core missions of Write A House, which is to educate the underemployed on carpentry skills. This gives trainees an opportunity to get hands on experience.
Write A House plans on opening the next round of applications for future homes this summer. There’s also a crowdfunding campaign on IndieGOGO to support their efforts.