Rocket Community Fund and Gilbert Family Foundation team members participated in a volunteer experience welcoming a family of new homeowners into their home, which was made possible through our home swap program.
A core part of our mission at Rocket Community Fund is the belief that everyone deserves a safe and stable place to call home. That belief was made manifest once again as we celebrated the sixth successful home swap through our innovative partnership with the City of Detroit and the Detroit Home Repair Fund team.
This latest swap marked an important milestone: the third and final home swap completed under phase two of the program. Designed to help homeowners living in homes with repair needs too extensive for traditional home repair programs, the home swap pilot program offers families the opportunity to exchange their existing home for a fully renovated home in their neighborhood. The program preserves homeownership, prevents displacement, and helps families remain connected to their communities.
This new phase of the program was made possible through collaboration with the City of Detroit’s Bridging Neighborhoods Department, Enterprise Community Partners, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, United Community Housing Coalition, Renaissance of Hope, Habitat for Humanity, After the Storm, the Detroit Land Bank Authority, and Humble Design. Together, these partners have helped transform housing challenges into new opportunities for Detroit families.
What makes Home Swap especially meaningful is that it goes beyond providing a renovated house; it helps create a true home. On move-in day, Humble Design works alongside volunteers to fully furnish and decorate each home based on the family’s needs and style, creating a warm and welcoming space from day one.
“We are grateful to partner with the amazing team at the City, Detroit Home Repair Fund, and Humble Design on this program,” says Gwen Gell, Senior Program Manager on the Rocket Community Fund’s Housing Stability team. “Home is a sanctuary and a place where families can be free to express themselves and overtime grow generational wealth.”
The move-in experience has also become a popular volunteer opportunity for Rocket team members. During this most recent home swap, members of the Rocket Community Fund and Gilbert Family Foundation Housing Stability teams rolled up their sleeves to help furnish and decorate the home with help from our partners at Humble Design. For many volunteers, it was a powerful and meaningful opportunity to see the direct impact of their work and help welcome a family into the next chapter of their homeownership journey.
We know that a home is so much more than four walls. Home is a sanctuary, a fresh start, and a foundation for building generational wealth. We’re proud to help Detroit families stay rooted in their neighborhoods while creating safe, healthy homes where they can thrive for years to come.
The Rocket Community Fund and Gilbert Family Foundation Housing teams volunteered with Humble Design, seeing firsthand how their work makes homeownership a reality.