CHICAGO⯗ Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson broke ground on C.A.R.E. Manor, a City-backed affordable housing project in West Garfield Park which is utilizing funds from the Mayor’s $1.25B Housing and Economic Development Bond to transform vacant land into 44 affordable homes designed to support families and multi-generational living.
Mayor Johnson joined United for Better Living, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Ald. Jason Ervin, and Department of Housing Commissioner Lissette Castañeda to kick off construction of the three-story, walk-up development at 4531-55 W.
Washington Blvd.
“Through our community-centric investments, we continue to prove we can grow our communities and build new homes without displacing the families who have long called our city home,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “By delivering affordable, family-sized homes, we're creating opportunities for Chicagoans in every phase of life to plant their roots in our incredible city.
I want to thank the private-sector, community, and faith partners who have come together around this project, our administration will continue to foster the partnerships needed to increase housing access throughout Chicago.”
Reflecting the need for affordable homes that accommodate multiple generations and evolving family needs,43 of the 44 homes will be family-sized two- and three-bedroom apartments, with one being a single-bedroom unit.
Every unit will be adaptable while 50% are designed to be fully accessible to residents with physical disabilities.
“For more than 50 years, we have served the West Garfield Park community through spiritual, social, and economic development initiatives, and C.A.R.E. Manor is a continuation of that commitment,” said Bishop David Whittley, United for Better Living CEO and Board President.“Representing years of vision, faith, and persistence among community and civic partners, this development will provide quality affordable housing at a time when demand is so great that a waitlist began forming before construction started. We are grateful to Mayor Brandon Johnson for his bold leadership and commitment to neighborhoods that have experienced decades of disinvestment.”
Plans include a community room, kitchen, management office, on-site laundry, and 21 parking spaces.
Sponsored by Corinth Temple Church of God in a partnership with United for Better Living, the $32 million development is being supported by up to $9.5 million in tax increment financing support, $9.75 million in HED Bond funds, and approximately $14.76 million in tax-exempt bond volume cap, the use of which is expected to generate approximately $9.5 million in LIHTC equity.
The Johnson administration also granted two previously City-owned parcels to United for Better Living to alleviate project costs.
“After years of hard work and dedication to a shared vision, we are excited to see Care Manor begin construction in West Garfield Park,” said Lissette Castañeda, DOH Commissioner. “By transforming formerly vacant land into forty-four affordable housing units, we are helping revitalize the Washington Boulevard corridor while investing directly in the residents who have called this community home for decades.
This project demonstrates what is possible when public and private partners come together to imagine something bigger, with lasting benefits for the West side.”
All 44 apartments will be affordable to households earning at or below 60% of the area median income, with two units at 30% AMI, five units at 50% AMI, and 37 units at 60% AMI.
Located near the W.
Madison St. commercial corridor and roughly a half mile from the Cicero CTA Green Line station, H.O.P.E. Manor builds upon the ongoing revitalization of the West Garfield Park and the West Side through expanded housing opportunities in the community.
Mayor Johnson remains committed to delivering more affordable homes and supporting projects that drive greater economic vitality in communities across Chicago.
The Johnson administration has put the construction of a larger, more diverse housing stock and thousands of new affordable homes at the center of its strategy to make Chicago more affordable for working people.