“Welcome to my new home!” Maria Walkenbach shouts, arms raised and hands above her head as a steady stream of contractors, cameramen and, well, whoever else wanted to stop by to say hello.

Inside a two-bedroom home on Ashton Street in Warrendale, Walkenbach is all hugs, laughs and smiles. There is no furniture in any of the rooms, which are all freshly carpeted except for the kitchen, which has new laminate hardwood floors. Soon it will be full, because today, the former Southwest Detroit resident takes ownership of the home.

Walkenbach is the second resident living in the footprint of the planned Gordie Howe International Bridge to move — voluntarily — to a newly refurbished home available in 19 Detroit neighborhoods, as part of the City of Detroit’s Bridging Neighborhoods Home Swap Program. About 220 households are eligible for the program; about 15 are scheduled to take ownership of renovated properties in the next few months, while another 20 are currently participating in the program and beginning the home-shopping process.

The renovated homes are owned by the Detroit Land Bank Authority and receive up to $60,000 in construction costs before being deeded over to the new homeowner. The homes are up to code and energy-efficient, with new windows, mechanical systems and upgraded kitchens, bathroom and flooring.

Warrendale residents embraced Walkenbach when she first met community leaders during the home-shopping process, she says. “One of the reasons why I picked this neighborhood was because they have a very active block club, they have CB patrols, and they’ve already reached out to me several times in the last month to get involved,” she says.

“It felt great to be welcomed to a new neighborhood. I know nobody. I know nothing about this neighborhood, but I feel very, very welcome.”