Mercy Housing Lakefront

www.mercyhousing.org

Foreclosures devastate Chicago's Roseland neighborhood. Families struggle to find affordable housing in Pullman, Uptown and other communities. Homeless people try to survive without permanent housing and supportive services. These are among the very real signs of the current housing crisis that affects the region. Mercy Housing Lakefront is addressing this crisis by working to create stable, vital and healthy communities through the development and preservation of affordable housing uniquely tailored to meet community needs.

Mercy Housing Lakefront was formed in 2005 after a merger between Mercy Housing, a national nonprofit organization, and Lakefront SRO, a Chicago-based organization that rehabilitated single-room occupancy buildings into affordable supportive housing properties.

"When the financial collapse happened, we saw the profound impact it was having on low and middle-income people," says Cindy M. Holler, president of Mercy Housing Lakefront. "We see a growing need, and we're stepping up our efforts to meet it."

Mercy's vision is defined by a broad view that takes into account the everyday realities of residents. Mercy Housing features a holistic approach to affordable housing that links its commitment to housing with environmental responsibility, transportation and job training. For example, the 180 Properties program run in partnership with The CARA Program creates jobs and protects homes by training low-income, disadvantaged workers to board up and maintain vacant, foreclosed properties.

Meanwhile, Mercy is bolstering communities through affordable housing projects around the city, from housing for seniors in Roseland and transit-oriented housing in Homan Square to a multi-family project in Chicago's Near North community.

Mercy Housing's work is as specific as a single unit or building, and as sweeping as a regional campaign for housing. In the next seven years, Mercy Housing will be working with partners through the Moving Forward Together campaign, an effort to leverage $1 billion to address the housing crisis in the Chicago and Milwaukee regions. The campaign's goals include building or preserving 5,000 apartments; facilitating the acquisition, rehab and reoccupation of 2,500 foreclosed homes and preventing or ending homelessness for 30,000 people.

General operating support from The Chicago Community Trust provides critical seed money for Mercy Housing Lakefront. The Trust has supported Mercy Housing Lakefront since 1989.

See the Trust's recent grants to Mercy Housing Lakefront

Learn more about our grant making in Community Development