About Us

The mission of the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative is to bring together Fort Wayne’s media resources to address complex community challenges by creating and disseminating solid, evidence-based journalism. We envision transforming the nature of local journalism in Fort Wayne and giving our community greater access to solutions-oriented news that encourages civic engagement.

Fort Wayne’s first Innovative Housing Showcase seeks to fill gaps in the local market

Fort Wayne’s first Innovative Housing Showcase seeks to fill gaps in the local market

by | May 9, 2024

As an architect from Detroit, Rena Bradley noticed Fort Wayne was lacking diverse housing styles when she moved here in 2015.  At the time, she was working for Bridge of Grace Compassionate Ministries on the city’s Southeast side, addressing challenges in the neighborhood, like a housing shortage and a surplus of smaller, empty lots. Bradley thought that if she could bring a concept, like shipping container homes, to Fort Wayne it could benefit families and the city alike, giving residents an attainable path to homeownership and reactivating vacant lots too small for traditional housing. As an added bonus: It would give her more interesting homes to choose from, too. “I wanted to bring the type of housing to our community that I myself wanted to live in,” Bradley says. “Something...

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Mobile Home Living in Fort Wayne: Get Grounded on the Rules, Rights, and Regulations

Mobile Home Living in Fort Wayne: Get Grounded on the Rules, Rights, and Regulations

by | May 8, 2024

Roiann Smolinski of Fort Wayne lived in a mobile home with her family about 40 years ago, and remembers it well.  “We had a small court, maybe only 30 homes, in a convenient location close to work. The court got plowed out early from snow. We had three bedrooms and two baths, and a nice sized kitchen. It served our purpose for living, until we bought a house six years later. My dad lived in the same court, so that was a bonus.” Smolinski also noted a few drawbacks, such as no access to covered or reserved parking spaces. Smolinski paid $135 for the home plus $190 for lot rent per month, which included landscaping and snow plowing but not utilities.  Despite the arctic chills that visit Fort Wayne each winter, their mobile home stayed cozy. “We didn't have any trouble with...

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Home Free: How the Forty Percent Live

Home Free: How the Forty Percent Live

by | May 1, 2024

Fort Wayne homeowner Kate was surprised to discover how she felt when she made the last mortgage payment on her home. “I thought the day I paid off the house would be the best day ever, but it is really the next month, when you don’t have to make that payment and you suddenly realize how much money you have to spend on something else.”  At first she devoted her extra money to fixing up her house, but once those tasks were done, her options expanded. “Now we have money to go on vacations and relax and look toward retirement with less stress. My husband says that this house is our guarantee that we won’t have to eat cat food,” she joked. Their home has nearly tripled in value since they purchased it in 1996. She recommended making a full commitment to the home and its location to make...

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Time for Change in Michigan, Legislature to Protect Renters Being Worked On 

Time for Change in Michigan, Legislature to Protect Renters Being Worked On 

by | Jan 22, 2024

Nearly 20% of Michigan renters will face the threat of eviction this year. In a state with over 1 million renters, this leaves about 200,000 citizens at risk of losing their homes. But there is legislation in the works to try to solve this.  Michigan RentersInfogram In 2022, Ann Arbor, a city where over half the households are renters, passed Section 8:531 of the housing code, the right to renew. This law requires Ann Arbor landlords make a “good faith” offer to renew a lease 180 days before a tenant’s lease is up.  Relocation is expensive and time consuming. Apartment hunting, packing, cleaning, along with security deposits and first- and last-month rent payments add up fast. If a tenant is offered an opportunity to renew, this can save them from being placed farther back...

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KHEPRW Goals for Indianapolis Community Land Trust

by | Dec 6, 2023

https://youtu.be/6XO8zWrwZZM Kheprw is a nonprofit organization based in Indianapolis that’s taking an active role in creating affordable housing options for residents by starting a Community Land Trust there. Their strategy is to develop community leaders who can move their CLT project forward and help address some of the inequalities in wealth that have influenced who can afford housing and who cannot. With Indianapolis’ eviction rate soaring to #8 in the US according to the latest numbers out of evictionlab.org, this type of strategic thinking on the part of nonprofits is needed to help provide residents with affordable, long-term housing solutions. A conversation with Alvin Sangsuwangul and Gabi Lorino. For more information, visit kheprw.org For more information, visit...

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KHEPRW Community Land Trusts Benefits and History

by | Dec 6, 2023

https://youtu.be/G9IzjtXTzJw How did housing inequality come about, and what can be done to help people obtain affordable housing in the future? This discussion of Indianapolis’ community land trust and what it aims to create for residents there provides a look into the history of housing in the US as well as the benefits of Community Land Trusts. A conversation with Alvin Sangsuwangul and journalist Gabi Lorino. For more information visit kheprw.org For more information visit fwmediacollaborative.com Paid for by the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative.

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Partners in Housing: Jeannette Shaw – Part 3

by | Oct 25, 2023

https://youtu.be/rV02zQM4_KY This video is a part of a series of interviews with members of the Partners in Housing organization in Indianapolis, Indiana, as they explain their ‘Housing First’ strategy in their approach to end homelessness. This is the third and final part of a conversation with Jeannette Shaw, Senior Property Manager for all Partners in Housing properties in Indianapolis. This is also the final part of the Partners in Housing series. For more information visit fwmediacollaborative.com For more information on Partners in Housing visit partnersinhousingindy.org/housing Paid for by the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative.

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Partners in Housing: Jeannette Shaw – Part 2

by | Oct 23, 2023

https://youtu.be/QckynbvRJfI This video is a part of a series of interviews with members of the Partners in Housing organization in Indianapolis, Indiana, as they explain their ‘Housing First’ strategy in their approach to end homelessness. This is part one of a conversation with Jeannette Shaw, Senior Property Manager for all Partners in Housing properties in Indianapolis. For more information visit fwmediacollaborative.com For more information on Partners in Housing visit partnersinhousingindy.org/housing Paid for by the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative.

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Partners in Housing: Jeannette Shaw – Part 1

by | Oct 20, 2023

https://youtu.be/mdJjEzOkjTE This video is a part of a series of interviews with members of the Partners in Housing organization in Indianapolis, Indiana, as they explain their ‘Housing First’ strategy in their approach to end homelessness. This is part one of a conversation with Jeannette Shaw, Senior Property Manager for all Partners in Housing properties in Indianapolis. For more information visit fwmediacollaborative.com For more information on Partners in Housing visit partnersinhousingindy.org/housing Paid for by the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative.

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