Mae House Project

MAE House, Mature Adult Environmental Housing, was founded on a simple but powerful belief: every senior deserves more than shelter. They deserve a home rooted in dignity, legacy, and sustainability. Our model preserves generational land, honors cultural heritage, and creates environmentally conscious housing for mature adults who might otherwise be left behind.

More than a place to live, MAE House is a promise to protect history, restore dignity, and ensure elders can age in peace, surrounded by care and community. What began as a family calling has grown into a movement to address senior housing insecurity while helping landowners preserve and restore their legacy.

Why Invest in MAE House

Too many of our older adults are living on a fixed incomes, who have to make the hard decision to choose between keeping a roof over their heads and meeting their basic needs. Many face isolation, unsafe living conditions, or the heartbreaking loss of property that has been in their families for generations.

MAE House exists to change that. Our work goes beyond housing, we are preserving legacies, protecting property, and rebuilding the sense of community that so many seniors deserve. We are creating spaces where mature adults don’t just live, but thrive, surrounded by connection, care, and the reassurance that their history is valued.

Your investment helps us:

• Restore and maintain safe, affordable homes for seniors

• Provide essential support so residents can focus on living, not surviving

• Protect generational land from displacement and loss

• Build communities where seniors remain active, connected, and valued

When you invest in MAE House, you’re not simply funding housing, you’re preserving stories, honoring lives, and ensuring our elders have a place to age with dignity. You’re making it clear: your story matters, your home matters, and you matter.

Founding Story

MAE House is more than a place to live. It is where history, dignity, and community come together.

Founded in 2022 by Verhonda Crawford Diehl, MAE House sits on family land in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, passed down through four generations. In the 1950s, her great grandparents, Vertie Mae and RG Oglesby, operated one of the county’s few Black owned motels and cafés, offering safety and welcome to travelers during segregation. Their property was more than a business. It was a refuge and a place of belonging.

That legacy lives on today. While working in community development, Verhonda recognized a growing need among older adults living on fixed incomes. In response, she transformed her family’s land into MAE House, providing safe, stable, and environmentally conscious housing for seniors.

Since opening, MAE House has served six residents, with four transitioning into permanent housing. The mission extends beyond shelter to preserving generational land, honoring cultural heritage, and creating sustainable communities where mature adults can age with dignity.

MAE House continues to grow through strong leadership and community partnerships, grounded in the belief that protecting the past helps build a better future and that no senior should face housing insecurity alone.

Want to learn more or schedule a tour? Email us at VerhondaCCrawford@gmail.com.