2017 Year in Review highlights CHA's efforts to expand affordable housing opportunities all over Chicago

CHICAGO (April 23, 2018): The year 2017 marked 12 months of success for the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), as the agency pursued new partnerships, innovative housing opportunities and programs that improved the lives of residents.

Released today, the “Year in Review” details how CHA is following Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s vision to expand housing opportunities all over Chicago, as well as investing in programs that support residents, from youth to seniors.

One of the agency’s key achievements was the awarding of 235 college scholarships to CHA residents – the largest number to date – with awards ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 for the 2017-18 school year. Today, those students are attending 105 colleges and universities across the country.

In 2017, CHA completed or continued the construction of almost 1,800 public housing units. On the North Side, CHA marked the long-awaited groundbreaking at Lathrop Homes, one of the most distinguished properties in the CHA portfolio that will produce 1,116 mixed-income housing units. On the West Side, there was the grand opening of the Lofts on Arthington, the renovated Sears, Roebuck and Co., building that was adapted to 181 affordable apartments in the Homan Square community. And on the South Side, the ribbon was cut at St. Edmund’s Oasis, a new affordable housing development for families in the Washington Park community that consists of 58 newly-constructed rental apartment and townhouse units.

Meanwhile, co-located Chicago Public Library branches in the Little Italy, Irving Park and West Ridge communities will revitalize vacant property by combining affordable housing with branch libraries that offer reading resources and programs for learners of all ages. CHA also focused on providing support for residents through many programs.

“It’s more than bricks and mortar at CHA. It’s about transforming lives, whether it’s youth, seniors or those in between,” CHA CEO Eugene E. Jones, Jr., said.

Students continued to soar at the “Take Flight College Send-Off,” where 150 students attending over 60 different colleges prepared to head off to college for the first time.

Further, young people were engaged in meaningful work through the One Summer Chicago program, earning more than $2.7 million in total wages through summer internship and career-building programs. The JobsPlus workforce program at Altgeld helped residents gain employment. And the new Section 3 Field Office was the first in the nation, helping resident-owned businesses with training, contracts and opportunities to move up the economic ladder.

“We are proud of what we accomplished in 2017, and we are creating a foundation that will guide the agency for years to come,” Jones, Jr. said. “From new housing for seniors, veterans and families to rehabbed apartments across Chicago, CHA is transforming the lives of residents through greater opportunity. As a result, it is building stronger communities and a better foundation for the future of all Chicagoans.”