If you ever doubt that there is a demand for affordable housing, you have to look to the day that we opened the wait list for Englewood Apartments.Over 1,000 people showed up for 99 units of housing.

 

This economic downturn has affected individuals and families in ways that I don't think any of us ever could have imagined. The only way that we can turn this around is some collective approaches to the problem. Almost every initiative and housing project we are looking at right now is being done in partnership with someone else.

 

Thank you for working with us. With your support, we continue to address the regional foreclosure and housing crisis. In 2010, you enabled us to: 

 

·         Provide housing and resident services to prevent or end homelessness for approximately 2,800 people;

·         Build and open 260 new affordable apartments in Englewood, Countryside and Milwaukee;

·         Acquire and begin to rehab 413 units of foreclosed property across 22 Chicago neighborhoods as part of the City of Chicago's $169 million Neighborhood Stabilization Program;

·         Close on financing and start construction to preserve 301 units of affordable housing in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood;

·         Acquire and begin to rehab 8 foreclosed homes in Carpentersville and South Elgin with $1.2 million in Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding from Kane County;

·         Create 77 employment opportunities while protecting and maintaining 811 foreclosed homes through Cleanslate Property Services; and

·         Secure approximately $4 million in philanthropic commitments for the Moving Forward Together campaign. Special thanks to our campaign leaders:  Pierce and Associates, Bank of America Charitable Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Citi Foundation, Fannie Mae, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and Provena Health.  

 

Thank you for your continuing commitment to help people live in hope during these challenging economic times.As we Move Forward Together, we will continue to need and value the efforts of all of our real estate, bank, community, philanthropic, and volunteer partners.  Special thanks to nearly 100 volunteers from Charter One Bank, Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Citibank, Equity Residential, Harris Bank, Pierce and Associates, Rotary Club of Chicago-O'Hare, and US Bank for providing over 400 hours of service to help our residents.

 

With your help, we will ultimately build or preserve 7,500 affordable homes and prevent or end homelessness for 10,000 people.

 

Thank you,

             

Cindy Holler, President, Mercy Housing Lakefront