- Featured in the premiere issue of Accessible Living Magazine
- Nonprofit Developer of the Year Award from the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA)
- Selected as a Pre-Qualified Development Team for the Housing Authority of Cook County
Home First DRAFT
Home First is a full-service housing development group, tasked with creating new models of housing for people with disabilities.
Community integrated, affordable, accessible housing
Intentionally located, affordable, accessible housing creates stability for communities. However, people with disabilities often face outsized challenges in accessing affordable housing that meets their needs. IFF’s Home First team develops community-based housing for people with disabilities across Illinois. Projects are located in communities with local supports and amenities, and buildings are new construction or fully rehabbed housing, providing stable long term housing options for this population. Launched in 2011, to date over 300 units of housing, in nine distinct projects across Illinois, have been developed.
Development is made possible through governmental resources including low-income housing tax credits and supportive housing programs. Supplemental funding is provided by private foundations, competitive grants, and additional loans and grants. Projects are supported with rental assistance to ensure the units remain affordable to residents for the long term.
Project sites are selected to create high quality housing on formerly underutilized sites including vacant land, foreclosed properties and village owned parcels. The resulting housing is deliberately low density, allowing residents the freedom to engage in their communities and supports as they choose.
