Another Milestone in Ending Homelessness – Madison Avenue Apartments Opens

On Friday, November 9, Phoenix Community Development Services (formerly SSOC) held a dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting to celebrate the rehabilitation of the building located at 202 NE Madison in downtown Peoria into ten apartment units to house individuals or households who are experiencing homelessness, are at risk of homelessness, and have a disabling condition.  The building’s location offers residents access to a variety of amenities, public transportation, and employment opportunities to help the individuals and families maintain residential stability and reach self-sufficiency.

Phoenix CDS received a $2.8M Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund award from the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) to complete the project.   IHDA also awarded  $1.6 million to provide a 15-year operating subsidy to make the units affordable for low income homeless households.  CEO Christine Kahl shared, “These funds from the IHDA allow us to provide 10 more households with permanent housing and to continue to meet the unmet demand for quality, affordable housing in our community.  The gap between housing costs and what people can pay is the primary cause of homelessness and one of the biggest challenges facing communities across the country.â€