Hope for New Housing Community
Leaders at City on a Hill Ministries and Doors of Hope are celebrating Holland City Council’s approval of a new Planned Unit Development (PUD) on Holland’s east side. On Wednesday, February 18th, the Holland City Council unanimously approved the rezoning of three lots at the southeast corner of Eighth and Waverly Streets from multi-use commercial to PUD as petitioned by Doors of Hope.
The project, Hope Ridge, is an all-new approach to providing desperately needed affordable rental housing in the Holland/Zeeland community. City on a Hill Ministries’ Doors of Hope will partner with the Ottawa County Department of Strategic Impact and use recently released open-sourced small footprint home designs to provide affordable and desirable housing opportunities.
“Hope Ridge is the confluence of the gifts and strengths of City on a Hill Ministries meeting real need with the generous and innovative partnerships within our community. It’s a shining moment of community development where gains can be made strategically and with joy,” says Ally Velderman, President of City on a Hill Ministries.
The project will include the construction of seven cottage-style homes with community and relationships in mind. The current building, formally a dentist’s office, will serve as an anchor for the property and a hub of community activities. Hope Ridge is designed for working individuals and families earning below the average income level for our community.
Hope Ridge is poised to be an expansion of the success of the work of Doors of Hope where relationship-based life coaching supports individuals seeking to break the cycles of crisis living and generational poverty to build long-term independence. “The Hope Ridge project meets the very real needs of affordable housing and will also create a community where neighbors can belong to and build a community with reciprocity and hope,” comments Doors of Hope Director Terri Caldwell, who adds that beyond the housing crisis she has also witnessed a crisis of loneliness and lack of community in clients.
While plans for Hope Ridge are still preliminary, City on a Hill’s Doors of Hope is supported by numerous local churches, businesses, and individuals and is uniquely positioned to build at lower square foot costs than for-profit housing. With the approved rezoning request, leadership at City on a Hill will now seek to finalize the plans of the development, including the partnerships and fundraising efforts to undertake the estimated $1.3 million work.
“We at City on a Hill are energized by Hope Ridge to make a tangible impact in housing. Doors continue to be opened for this sustainable, community focused, and financially viable model. We hope it can be a strategic example for other nonprofits and ministries to continue to make a real difference in housing,” explains City on a Hill Board Chair, Rev. Steven DeVries.
City on a Hill Ministries exists to cultivate an affordable, welcoming, and collaborative space where ministries and nonprofits can grow and make a meaningful impact—locally and beyond. Through its in-house ministries, including Doors of Hope, the Café, Health Clinic, and Renewal Room, City on a Hill Ministries provides care, advocacy, resources, and renewal for individuals and families in need. Learn more at coahm.org.