New Supportive Housing Community Opens in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) today joined local officials, community leaders, and others to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the Park Avenue Residences in Springfield. The new supportive housing community provides 22 apartments for formerly homeless residents and builds on IHDA's ongoing efforts to support the state's progress under the Home Illinois Plan, a multi-year holistic approach to achieve "functional zero" homelessness in Illinois.

"The Park Avenue Residences represents an important step forward in providing safe, stable and affordable housing for some of Central Illinois' most vulnerable residents," IHDA Executive Director Kristin Faust said. "It takes a lot of dedicated people and organizations to make a development like this possible, and IHDA is proud to be a part of this effort that will help 22 residents break the cycle of homelessness and achieve the stability they deserve."

According to the 2022 Point-in-Time count that assesses sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness, 188 adults in Sangamon County were experiencing homelessness, meaning they were living in an emergency shelter, transitional housing, or a place not meant for human habitation. Of those, 12 percent (23 individuals) were veterans and 41 percent (78 individuals) had physical or mental health needs. Park Avenue Residences will help to address this need with a trauma-informed, housing-first approach that addresses the individual needs and goals of each tenant.

Developed by Helping Hands of Springfield, the development offers a range of personalized supportive services designed to help residents maintain their health and housing stability. Services include case management, mental and physical health services, employment counseling, life skills training, substance use counseling, assistance in obtaining and maintaining benefits, and referrals to additional community-based services and resources. Helping Hands also provides transportation assistance for residents to get to counseling appointments, doctor's visits, and grocery stores.

In addition to the wraparound services, residents of the Park Avenue Residences benefit from amenities including in-unit laundry, bicycle parking, a gazebo and community garden, and shared community spaces. The location is also convenient to shopping, employment, and other community amenities.

Funding for the development was provided through $5.2 million in loans and grants awarded by IHDA, as well as $800,000 in HOME funds from the City of Springfield. All 22 units are reserved for households earning less than 30 percent of the Area Median Income ($20,880 for one-person household in Sangamon County), and every unit will be supported by rental assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Continuum of Care Program, ensuring residents pay no more than 30 percent of their income towards rent.