Essence Wilson knows housing is the foundation for everything people do. That’s why she works hard to ensure people have a quality, affordable place to live through her work at Communities First Inc.

Wilson (’05, ME) is the co-founder and chief strategy officer of Communities First Inc., a non-profit organization whose mission is to build healthy, vibrant communities through economic development, affordable housing, and innovative programming. 

She founded Communities First in 2010 with her husband, Glenn, after their discussions about community issues. Glenn was working in healthcare at the time and became aware of the living conditions of some senior citizens in Flint. The organization’s first housing development was designed for low-income seniors, and since then, Communities First has generated more than 400 housing units. Along with their passion for equitable real estate development, their work has grown to include creating economic opportunities and engaging people in the community.

Typically, people in community work have a background in social work or other soft sciences, but Wilson said the skills she gained from her experience in engineering are transferable and have come in handy, especially when “an analytical thought process is needed to work in the context of a social problem or concern.”

“The process I use to address issues is in many ways similar to the process I used working at [General Motors] and troubleshooting a down production line,” she said. “The process is the same, but the impacts and weightiness of the responsibility is much different. This could literally alter or change someone’s life.”

Communities First’s latest project is a 48-unit apartment complex in the University Avenue Corridor at University Avenue and Grand Traverse Street. 

“There is a lot of good work that’s happening in the Corridor, and this becomes an additional housing offering for residents in that neighborhood and also for those who desire to live in that neighborhood. It creates affordability for people who desire to live there,” Wilson said. 

Building near amenities and resources people need also is important, she said, noting a number of services within walking distance, including a gas station, food options, educational opportunities and the downtown area.

The site where the apartment complex will be built was a privately owned greenspace, but previously was the home of a burnt-out grocery store that was removed by the University Avenue Corridor Coalition. It is across the street from Kettering University-owned property that houses a Jimmy John’s and Little Caesars.

Wilson said the organization would like construction to start building as soon as possible and the construction timeline would be 12 to 14 months.

“I think this creates opportunities for some folks already in the neighborhood but maybe aren’t living in the best housing conditions or have a desire for something a little different,” she said. “... I think it also helps raise the standard for what people expect for essentially the same amount of rent; there’s just a different quality of life they might have in a new location with commercial space and other tenants that are in the building.”

She recognized some people in the area become concerned when they hear the term “affordable housing,” but she said they shouldn’t be worried.

“Housing is a fundamental thing where people who have housing and have a nice place to live often undervalue it for others,” Wilson said. “So the first thing is getting into that space where we understand that everybody deserves a decent place to live. Once we can agree on that, we can stop thinking about people as ‘those people’ and realize that we’re all those people. We shouldn’t be talking about people as though they are an object or as though they are undesirable individuals as much as we should be trying to create community and cohesiveness in neighborhoods where anybody can thrive.”