1. What is the difference between an HMG Neighborhood and regular apartment or condo complex? An HMG Neighborhood is composed of residents who have chosen to come and live in the same neighborhood with the intention and purpose of speaking into one another’s lives through close community. The community is focused around a community building and space that is used daily for community activities, events and meals. A HMG Neighborhood is a group of families intentionlly living in the same neighborhood that is self-developed and operated in a way to promote close supportive social relationships and service to the poor with the purpose of proclaiming and demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ. 2. Do residents own their own homes? Each condo or apartment unit is owned or rented separately by each resident. As in a traditional condominium complex, each owner owns their own unit and a portion of the common facilities. As in a traditional multifamily apartment complex, each renter has a one-year lease for their unit with access to common amenities. 3. Are residents required to pool their financial resources? No. An HMG Neighborhood is not a commune. An
HMG Neighborhood does not utilize income sharing between family or residents. An
HMG Neighborhood is a community that strives to use less resources to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us. An
HMG Neighborhood promotes the voluntary sharing and utilization of the gifts, skills and talents of individuals for the benefit and enrichment of the wider community. 4. What is the role of the local church or ministry in an HMG Neighborhood? The local church or ministry is the Sponsor and part-Owner of the HMG Neighborhood facilities. It's vision and ministry objectives for the basis for what the community looks like and is about. Sponsoring an HMG Neighborhood can be an opportunity for a local church congregation to make hearing and seeing the Gospel in action more accessible. It reflects a modern day version of the early Christian communities. The gatherings described in Acts were meetings which were easy for outsiders to stumble across, where they could begin to evaluate the character of the people involved and the ethos of their message. A hospitable invitation to the meal afterwards often led outsiders to take two steps forward into fellowship on their very first encounter. Many churches today, by virtue of meeting in private facilities, may have inadvertently created a barrier to the Gospel. The church must recover the values of informal fellowship, hospitality, the openness of Christian households as a distinctive refuge from elements of culture which are hostile to the Gospel. An HMG Neighborhood can provide a setting where these values can flourish. 5. Does a local church or ministry need to contribute its money to develop an HMG Neighborhood? It is not necessary for the local church or ministry to contribute money or resources to develop an HMG Neighborhood since the financing of an HMG Neighborhood comes from the housing expenses of the residents living in the community. Since these housing costs are already being spent by individuals on housing, there is not any aggregate increase of resources to develop an HMG Neighborhood, just a reorientation of existing resources being spent. Outside funding will be necessary for subsidizing units for low-income families. A local church or ministry is expected to put time, energy and effort into the HMG Neighborhood development process, which can be substantial. Any existing resource, such as land or buildings, that can be utilized to keep costs down for residents and ongoing operations, would be welcome but is not required. 6. Why are there housing units for low income residents? Local housing ministries can help local congregations creatively practice Christian community while providing places of healing and stability to those in need. The vision of an HMG Neighborhood is a network of relations to serve the poor through providing housing and a social services. Housing is a critical material need which plays an important role in the social stability of day-to-day life. Because such a large percentage of a family’s fixed expenses is spent on housing, it is also strongly connected to the ability to provide for oneself. |