IFF’s in-house development group, Home First, has been tasked since 2011 with establishing new models of housing for people with disabilities while revitalizing vacant or underutilized properties in Illinois, developing more than 320 units of accessible, affordable housing across the state.
Earlier this week, IFF celebrated the completion of Home First’s latest project – Access Health and Housing in Maywood, IL – with a ribbon cutting ceremony that featured remarks by Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (Illinois House of Representatives), President Toni Preckwinkle (Cook County Board of Commissioners), Mayor Nathaniel George Booker (Village of Maywood), and representatives from Loyola Medicine and Trinity Health, the Illinois Housing Development Authority, and Cook County Land Bank Authority (CCLBA) – all of which played crucial roles in bringing Access Health and Housing to fruition.
With the project, Home First has deeply integrated community-based health services with 20 units of affordable and accessible housing. Doing so will ensure that more Illinoisans with disabilities who are able to transition out of nursing homes have the opportunity to live in a safe, affordable, and independent setting that meets their needs and enables them to fully participate in their communities.
Spread across six new buildings that replaced long vacant parcels of land acquired from the Village of Maywood and CCLBA – which recently recognized Home First as the Nonprofit Developer of the Year for the project – Access Health and Housing’s one- and two-bedroom apartments have high-quality amenities, energy efficient features, and project-based rental subsidies and utility allowances to keep the apartments affordable to residents. On the ground floor of one of the buildings is a health care flex-space that will be operated in partnership with Trinity Health to make health services as accessible as possible to residents.
The $9.4 million project leveraged funding from the Illinois Housing Development Authority via its Permanent Supportive Housing program, project-based rental assistance from the State of Illinois, grants from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and ComEd, IFF equity, and financing from development partner Trinity Health.
Scroll down to see photos from the ribbon cutting ceremony, and click here to learn more about the project.
In Illinois, we believe housing is a human right, and that is why we have provided significant funding in our state budgets for affordable housing every year I’ve been Speaker of the House. As such, I have been proud to work with organizations like Home First and IFF to build… pic.twitter.com/C1I2XElTxC
— Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (@SpeakerWelchIL) June 26, 2024
I’m thrilled to join @SpeakerWelchIL and community leaders for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Access Health and Housing! Developed by Home First, this 20-unit, community-integrated housing development features high-quality amenities, and rental subsidies. pic.twitter.com/x3qIozHDeZ
— Toni Preckwinkle (@ToniPreckwinkle) June 25, 2024
