Faye Baker is breaking barriers in Warren as the city's only Black female home developer, turning her passion for homeownership into a mission to help families build wealth and create brighter futures.

Watch Jolie Sherman's video report: Woman developer is breaking barriers by building in Warren

The Detroit native discovered her calling at age 21 when she purchased her first home.

"I had one son at the time. I just so happened to look down the street, and I saw a home for sale, and I thought, " Wow, how does that work?" Baker said.

After going through the homebuying process, Baker realized the transformative power of homeownership.

"Understanding finance and housing, I felt like if it could change my life, it could change everyone's life," Baker said.

Today, Baker serves as the CEO and president of Baker & Associates and leads the Empowerment and Development Housing Resource Center, a nonprofit offering free services including homebuyer education, credit coaching, and financial literacy programs for families.

But Baker's impact extends beyond education she's actively building homes too.

"I acquire raw land and develop it into housing," Baker said.

Currently, Baker is developing 20 modular homes in Warren, with three already completed, and plans to finish the remaining homes by summer.

Her work has transformed lives like that of Tannisha Hurd, who grew up in low-income housing. With Baker's guidance, Hurd and her husband purchased their first home in 2014 for around $80,000, later selling it for nearly four times that amount in 2022 and moving into a $400,000 house in Macomb Township.

"I didn't think it was possible, and when I realized that it was, I was happy, blessed, thankful to be able to do that," Hurd said.

For Baker, homeownership represents more than just property ownership it's about generational change.

"I have a passion for homeownership. So, whatever it takes to get you from A to Z, that's what I do," Baker said. "That is how you change your life, and the life of your kids."

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Royal Oak's switch to ParkMobile at the start of the year is getting positive reviews from residents and business owners who say it's simpler and more user-friendly than the previous system.

"I thought it was really easy. Everything is spelled out for how to do it," Suzanne Abbott of Harrison Township said.

Watch Jolie Sherman's video report below: Are Royal Oak's parking changes making a difference

Kelly Dobson of Livonia agreed, noting the familiarity of the system.

"They have similar machines in Ann Arbor, which I go to a lot, so it was not that hard to figure it out," Dobson said.

However, some residents acknowledge there's a learning curve for less tech-savvy users.

"You know, I'm pretty tech savvy, but there's people in places right here, they couldn't," Phillip Stephens of Royal Oak said.

The new ParkMobile system eliminated the city's controversial back-in parking spaces and camera technology, providing relief for many businesses, especially those on South Washington Avenue, who felt the old system drove customers away.

"It used to be daily, weekly complaints about not being able to back in, not understanding the system, the app not working, and now it's the exact opposite," said Julia Manzella, who works at Rail & Anchor gift shop.

Manzella has worked at the gift shop for six years and has noticed increased foot traffic since the switch.

"The anxiety is gone about parking here now. It's way more welcoming to come back to the city," Manzella said.

City officials say creating a welcoming environment was exactly their goal.

"The hardest part should be deciding where you want to go for dinner, not how to park," City Commissioner Brandon Kolo said.

Previous report: Royal Oak shares exclusive sneak peek of new downtown parking meters ahead of January 2026 launch Royal Oak shares exclusive sneak peek of new downtown parking meters ahead of January 2026 launch

Kolo and fellow City Commissioner Rebecca Cheezum wanted a parking system already used in other communities. The ParkMobile system is also used in Ferndale and Birmingham.

"So it's really familiar to people and I think people are really enjoying the ease of our on-street parking," Cheezum said.

The new system eliminates back-in parking spaces but still requires payment even when meters are bagged. Users should look for orange signs and kiosks, then follow the listed steps including entering the zone number and license plate number.

Other payment options include downloading the ParkMobile app, paying online or texting "PARK" to 77223.

"Our downtown is really important to us. We want people to come downtown. We want visitors in our community. That's really important to us, to our business owners, to our residents... and so it was really essential that we get it right," Cheezum said.

Previous report: Royal Oak returns to pull-in parking, ending controversial back-in spaces City of Royal Oak begins parking changes

The city has already started removing the old meters, with the process expected to be completed by April.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

More than 7 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's disease, including over 200,000 people in Michigan, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

Watch Jolie's report in the video player below

Local program supports families facing dementia and their caregivers

For families facing this devastating diagnosis, finding support can make all the difference in managing the challenges ahead.

Janet Schwamb knows this reality all too well. Her husband, Freddie, was diagnosed with dementia three years ago, though warning signs appeared much earlier.

"It really goes back about 8 years. He had balance problems about 8 years ago, and he had some ambulatory problems, walking," Schwamb said.

Freddie Schwamb spent decades as a teacher and assistant principal in New York. Even after retiring in Michigan to be closer to family, he returned to the classroom as a substitute teacher until his condition made it impossible to continue.

"It's always a challenge, and it limits your mobility. You know, getting your wheelchair in and out of the car," Freddie Schwamb said.

The couple of 50 years describes dementia as one of the biggest challenges they've faced.

"So as a caregiver to Freddie, it's all encompassing as the symptoms progress and increase, I do more for him. I do more for the care of the house, the finances, all of the things that life requires us to do on a daily basis," Janet Schwamb said.

In 2024, Mr. and Mrs. Schwamb found support through the Dorothy and Peter Brown Jewish Community Adult Day Program, known as the Brown Center, which operates locations in West Bloomfield and Southfield. The program works in partnership with Gesher Human Services and Jewish Senior Life.

"We do cognitively stimulating activities, we do physical activities, things that just treat the whole person," said Sharilyn Rowe, a social worker at the center.

The Brown Center has been serving people living with dementia and their caregivers for nearly 30 years, providing both structured activities and crucial respite for families.

"So, [caregivers] get that chance to drop that person off and know that they're safe and cared for, and they can go and do what it is that they need to do whether that's running errands, taking a nap, having some me time, whatever it is," Rowe said.

Beyond daily programming, the center connects families to critical resources.

On Thursday, January 29, the Brown Center is hosting a free webinar from 2-4 p.m. on the latest advances in Alzheimer's care, where experts will discuss new FDA-approved treatments and how to access them.

Families must register by Tuesday, January 27, by emailing jdorfman@jslmi.org or calling the center at (248)661-6390. Participants will receive a link and can tune in from home.

For the Schwamb family, this type of support has been life-changing, providing both practical help and emotional comfort in knowing they're not facing this journey alone.

"The help is super. They're very empathetic...and fun to be with, and that's a big part of getting through the day," Freddie Schwamb said.

"The longer that we can keep him mobile and the longer we keep him actively engaged, the slower the progression," Janet Schwamb said.

The Brown Center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.