Write a House, a nonprofit based in Detroit, seeks to elevate the city’s literary profile by providing homes to writers. As the program states, "In this case, the writer is simply given the house, forever."
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The initiative took a year and a half to secure 501(c)(3) status, with some legal challenges arising from the unique concept of giving away homes. Barlow noted that lawyers expressed concerns about the potential for writers to sell the homes for profit, to which he responded, "There’s nothing less profitable than giving away a home. That alone should define us as a nonprofit."
Eligible recipients include writers of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, journalists, playwrights, and screenwriters—though songwriters and composers are excluded for now. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or current Detroit residents, have previous publications, and earn no more than $39,750 annually for individuals, with higher thresholds for larger families. Full-time writing status is not required.
In its first year, Write a House plans to award one house, with recipients selected through a competitive judging process. The inaugural panel featured notable figures such as poets Billy Collins and Major Jackson, scholar Michael Stone Richards, and activist Dream Hampton. The program received 348 applications, including 155 for fiction, 99 for nonfiction, and 94 for poetry. A shortlist of ten applicants was announced in August, with the winner set to be revealed this month. After the first award, two more houses are planned to be given away each following year. The application timeline for the second house will be announced on the Write a House website post the winner's announcement.