Mama Allen’s Place asks Inkster council to back state grant for home repairs, counseling

Shawana Gajewski, representing Mama Allen’s Place, told the Inkster City Council on April 6 that the nonprofit provides home repairs, monthly credit counseling and one-on-one housing-counseling sessions and is seeking city recognition to improve competitiveness for state grant funding from MSHDA.

Gajewski said the organization currently has four houses under contract, one model sold and that roughly 170 prospective homebuyers have been evaluated as part of outreach. She described services that include accessibility improvements for older residents and credit-repair assistance to support long-term homeownership.

"We want to position ourselves to be able to receive these grant funds in order to be a better asset to the community," Gajewski said, asking the council to consider a letter of support and to engage city administration to start the recognition process so formal documentation can be prepared prior to a future vote.

Council members asked practical questions about how residents access services and whether the nonprofit had received prior grants; Gajewski said she has partnered previously with other grant recipients and with state-level programs and that monthly housing-counseling classes are free. The council did not take a formal vote that night but directed administration to follow up and advised Gajewski to bring any paperwork and timelines to the clerk’s office.

The council chair asked staff to investigate the formal recognition process to avoid jeopardizing any potential funding applications, and staff agreed to assist with next steps.

The council did not vote on recognition during the meeting; administration will work with the organization to prepare documentation for a future agenda.