Rental Homes For The Illinois Homeless
Chicago – Hundreds of families and individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless in Illinois today moved one step closer to securing a safe and decent home with supportive services to help them get back on their feet. The Supportive Housing Institute, established by the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) and funded by the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), graduated its first class of potential supportive housing developers who plan to build an estimated 400 rental homes around the State for persons facing homelessness. The program helps small non-profits learn to efficiently navigate the complex process of developing housing with support services and is expected to reduce the time it takes to obtain funding for homeless housing by improving the planning process. The counties that will benefit from the program include Cook, DuPage, Massac, Vermilion, Warren and Williamson.
Ten teams of prospective non-profit supportive housing developers from all over Illinois were selected last October to take part in the Opening New Doors Program which provides technical assistance, pre-development funds, and six months of supportive housing building and management training. Today, each team presented plans that will put their work into practice and build supportive housing for homeless families and individuals in their respective cities. The program’s goal is to increase housing options for persons facing disadvantages such as homelessness and mental illness, former substance abusers, and people living with HIV and AIDS. The type of housing and population served will be based on the needs of each local community.
“Today marks an enormous accomplishment for affordable and supportive housing providers across Illinois,” said DeShana Forney, executive director of IHDA, speaking at a graduation ceremony in Bloomington today. “IHDA is extremely proud to be implementing and investing in Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich’s vision for an increase in affordable housing options for all Illinois residents, including those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Supportive housing can make all the difference to families and individuals without housing who want to rebuild their lives. The Corporation for
Supportive Housing’s Institute helps to increase the State’s capacity to deliver quality housing and services to those who need it most.”
IHDA awarded a $750,000 grant from the State Affordable Housing Trust Fund to CSH in 2006 to set up the Institute and to train 16 to 20 non-profit organizations to become supportive housing developers over a two year period. Of this sum, $320,000 will provide technical assistance for the trainings, $330,000 is earmarked for predevelopment funding such as architectural plans and site control, and $100,000 will be used for capacity building grants. CSH has found that many non-profits with the experience and desire to provide housing and services to people facing homelessness could not because they lack initial start up resources because they were daunted by the process of applying for funding.
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