Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and Department of Housing (DOH) Commissioner Marisa Novara today joined Alderman Stephanie Coleman (16th Ward) and Volunteers of America (VOA) Illinois for a formal ribbon-cutting for Hope Manor Village that will create 36 new affordable two-bedroom apartments on the City’s South Side. The apartments will be built within a mix of 12 two-flat and four three-flat buildings on 16 vacant lots on the 5900 and 6000 blocks on South Green Street, and the 5900 and 6100 blocks of South Peoria in Englewood, that are designed to fit in with the existing character of the neighborhood.
Photo: Volunteers of America Website
“Thanks to the incredible work of VOA Illinois and its partners across Chicago, we have turned empty lots and abandoned buildings into high-quality affordable housing, opportunities for homeownership, and much more,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “It’s through these passionate and dynamic collaborations that we will bring our city’s policies in line with our values, and build the foundations for our communities to recover, grow, and thrive.”
Hope Manor Village’s scattered-site housing will be near Hope Manor II, a campus-style, permanent supportive housing community for veterans with families located at 60th and Halsted Streets that features 73 apartments, on-site social services, and other amenities. Hope Manor Village will specifically target the six blocks surrounding the Hope Manor II campus, which opened in 2014, and will further stabilize and beautify the neighborhood by eliminating the vacant parcels of land that attract crime and depress real estate values.
“Hope Manor Village is going to change the landscape of the neighborhood and erase the emptiness of these vacant lots, transforming the area into a safer community for families,” said Alderman Stephanie Coleman (16th Ward). “I want to thank Volunteers of America Illinois for expanding Hope Manor II even further into Englewood truly creating a village for our residents.”
The estimated $15 million project which is expected to create over 100 construction jobs, received $3,150,000 in Multi-Family Loan Funds from the City of Chicago. The 16 vacant lots were also City-owned parcels that were sold to VOA Illinois for $1 each. Today’s event formerly opened two of the apartment buildings, and the other 14 are currently in various stages of construction with an estimated completion for early 2021.
“I want to thank Volunteers of America Illinois for their continued commitment to Chicago and ensuring that residents have access to affordable housing throughout the City,’ said DOH Commissioner Marisa Novara. “Hope Manor Village not only creates much-needed affordable housing for our veterans and now others, but by utilizing these vacant lots, VOA Illinois is helping to cultivate communities across the City for safer and more viable neighborhoods for everyone.”
Hope Manor Village builds on the success and momentum of Hope Manor I in West Humboldt Park, Hope Manor II in Englewood, and Hope Manor Joliet in Joliet, supportive housing developments specifically designed by VOA Illinois for Veterans. Hope Manor Village residents will have access to the many services available at Hope Manor II, such as employment training and multi-generational youth programs (targeting both children and adults), strength-based, gender-responsive and trauma-informed. While Hope Manor Village is veteran preference housing, any resident who meets the financial eligibility is eligible to apply.
We want to bring rooftops back to these blocks,” said Nancy Hughes Moyer, President and CEO of VOA Illinois. “The goal is to be filling in the blocks and creating density in this neighborhood. Filling in the gaps is what’s going to make a difference in the lives of people in Englewood.”
Hope Manor Village and Hope Manor II are both located in Englewood near the 63rd Street INVEST South/West priority corridor. The Mayor’s INVEST South/West initiative, announced last October, comprehensively focuses on planning and funding tools along targeted corridors that have historically served as focal points for pedestrian activity, retail, services, transportation, public spaces and quality-of-life amenities for local residents. In addition to Englewood, the initial 10 INVEST South/West neighborhoods also include:
- Auburn Gresham
- North Lawndale
- Austin
- Humboldt Park
- Quad Communities
- New City
- Roseland
- South Chicago
- South Shore
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