CAD Artist in Residency Housing
Our residency dwellings are located in various cities throughout Michigan and across the United States, providing aged-out foster youth with a place to call home — whether that's a house, apartment, hotel, or inn. During their stay, residents have their rental costs covered in exchange for participation in CAD specialized trainings, individual and group sessions (in person and/or online), designed to prepare them for careers, business ownership, and real-life challenges. Residences range from single-occupancy to multi-person arrangements, each with private bedrooms. Performing, production, literary, and visual artists in residence also participate in CAD productions, concerts, films, shows, or exhibits, and enjoy outings to sporting events, museums, libraries, plays, and more.
Your First 30 Days at CAD Artist in Residency
One House At a Time
CAD's mandatory activities provide a direct path to a better life and long-term financial security. Below is an overview of what residents experience during their first 30 days and throughout their stay.
Workforce Development & Career Training
Hands-on A.I. technology, computer coding, and battery and chip technology training leading to stable, well-paying careers or business ownership. Skilled trades workshops covering carpentry and construction, including certification, licensing, and union protection for residents 18 and older.
Career Study Trips
Residents may apply to shadow a CEO, successful business owner, philanthropist, or celebrity in their field of interest — locally within Michigan, out of state, or abroad — for one day, a weekend, one week, or a full season.
Business & Entrepreneurship
Hands-on experience in pop-up business promotion and fundraising, including marketing, selling, applying for funding, sponsorships, and investors, as well as online product and service development.
Food Security & Nutrition
Experience growing fruits, herbs, and vegetables indoors and outdoors to ensure food access at all times, along with learning to use spices, herbs, seeds, and healthy oils to improve overall health.
Arts, Wellness & Mental Health
Multi-media, visual and multi-arts, culinary, and craft workshops designed to improve mental, emotional, physical, and social well-being for residents and others. Stress-reduction activities include art, games, field trips, fitness, meditation, writing, music, dance, sports, and more.
Financial Literacy
Practical training in applying for and managing grants, contracts, business lines of credit, stocks, savings bonds, CDs, credit cards, insurance, mortgages, and real estate and land purchases, as well as wills and personal financial planning.
Paid Event Work Experience
Residents are trained and placed as servers and workers at hotels, banquet centers, conferences, festivals, and private and public corporate events in various roles.
Disability & Inclusive Opportunities
Dedicated opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities across athletics, sports writing, film, television, theater, music, literature, fashion, marketing, animation, visual arts, and other creative industries.
Bill Pay Program
Residents are given a real utility, grocery, cell phone, or internet bill to save for and pay before the due date. Doing so earns an additional month of free stay. Residents may continue participating as long as they remain active in mandatory activities and adhere to community standards, including refraining from smoking, abusive language, nudity, unauthorized visitors, drunkenness, and violence.
Awards & Celebrations
Every month of on-time bill payment and activity participation is recognized with an award — which may include clothing, an outing, haircuts and styling, or other meaningful rewards.
Eligibility & Enrollment
For open cases, youth between the ages of 16 and 17 do not reside in the home but are welcome to attend workshops, trainings, and activities. For closed cases, youth between 18 and 23 (and up to age 26) may apply for residency on a month-by-month basis.
Many additional classes and programs are available free of charge or covered through financial aid for former foster youth, including support through Youth in Transition (Michigan's name for Federal Chafee funding), which provides resources for self-sufficiency for youth who experienced out-of-home care after age 14 and have not yet reached age 23. Eligible expenses must not be covered by any other government or community resource.
How to Apply
To apply for a CAD Artist in Residency stay, request an application at [email protected] or text a residency application request to 313-346-6878 to complete online or in person. You will receive a package of available residency sites for males and females, with or without a disability, and for veterans and non-veterans. Residents may also apply to receive personal care packages if needed.
Housing is sponsored in part by Park West Foundation, Community Partners, Corporation for Artistic Development, and community donations.