CHA joins partners to celebrate opening of Pierce House at La Casa Norte
Press contacts:
Office of Communications – Chicago Housing Authority
Molly Sullivan: (312) 786-3344; msullivan@thecha.org
Matthew Aguilar: (312) 935-2646; maguilar@thecha.org
CHICAGO (Sept. 27, 2019) – Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) officials today joined La Casa Norte, the City of Chicago Department of Housing, local elected officials and members of the community to dedicate Pierce House, which brings 25 units of supportive housing to the Humboldt Park community.
The one and two-bedroom apartments are supported by CHA project-based vouchers and will be leased to individuals and families from the CHA waiting list and Chicago’s Coordinated Entry System.
Other support for the $18.5 million project came from the City of Chicago, which provided Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds and a loan. The City of Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services assisted with funding for wraparound supportive services for residents.
The 25 housing units at Pierce House are part of a larger neighborhood investment that also includes space for La Casa Norte’s social, community and administrative service offices on the first and second floor, along with a nutrition center with a food pantry and teaching kitchen. The new center also has space that will enable La Case Norte to provide programs that offer clients employment readiness and life skills. The development is anchored by a newly-opened Howard Brown Health Center which operates a federally-funded, qualified health center on the ground floor of the property.
“We are pleased to join our partners to dedicate this development and know that we all share the common goal of providing permanent housing with supportive services for some of our most vulnerable residents,” said Cary Steinbuck, Deputy Chief of Property Rental Assistance and Acquisition for CHA. “For years, La Casa Norte has been at the forefront of helping Chicago youth who are experiencing homelessness by offering them a safe haven. Pierce House will continue this important work and be able to reach even more people in need.”
Chicago Department of Housing Commissioner Marisa Novara said: “Pierce House represents the impact that public-private interagency collaborations have when focused on a unifying goal to improve lives. “Pierce House is not simply a place to live; it inspires, sparks hope, and helps every tenant change the trajectory of their life. It is a home.”
Vicki Hadaway, Interim Executive Director of La Casa Norte, said: “La Casa Norte dreams of a world where all people have dignity, communities thrive, and everyone belongs. With the opening of Pierce House, La Casa Norte and Chicago Housing Authority are taking one giant step in creating that reality and ending homelessness for 25 youth and youth families, This housing will allow youth to thrive and have a safe place to live, develop and grow. The youth will now have a place to call home and the community of Humboldt Park to be actively engaged in. La Casa Norte’s vision to end poverty and homelessness for this generation and the next, is now a closer reality.”