Group to Make 54 Apartments Available to Homeless Veterans

Two newly-refurbished, three-bedroom apartments in North Chicago were unveiled Friday by the Community Action Partnership of Lake County as the organization kicked off its “Home for the Holidays” campaign to provide housing to homeless veterans and their families.

by Arnaldo Rodgers

“We have this gap of people who don’t have a place to live,” said Elizabeth Morgan, of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Morgan, who runs the walk-in center for the homeless at the James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, explained that affordable housing is hard to find, even in North Chicago. Veterans with income only from social security disability or low paying jobs is often not enough, Morgan said.

“Affordable housing is a very significant need. The more programming that comes up the better,” she said.

Mary Lockhart White, executive director of the housing partnership, said the organization has owned the two buildings at 1440 and 1444 Hervey Avenue for a number of years. White said the goal is to have eight more apartments ready for veterans before the holidays.

Eventually, White envisions all 54 units becoming affordable housing for veterans and their families.

“Homeless and veterans are two words that should never go together,” White said. “We want to make them a better place to live. We’re dedicated to help people help themselves. Help us give back to those who have given so much to our country.”

To do that, the partnership is starting a fundraising campaign to help finance the rehab of another eight apartments.

“We have 54 units. This is just a start,” she said.

The organization also is placing a special emphasis on women veterans with children. The partnership can enroll the younger kids immediately in Head Start programs.

According to the group, female veterans are more likely to become homeless than their male counterparts. The overall rate of homelessness among veterans has been increasing about 5 percent a year for the past four years, according to the organization.

White said that PNC Bank and BMO Harris Bank were instrumental in getting the apartments ready. Furnishings for the two units were provided by Love Inc., and state Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Waukegan, unveiled a giant grant check for $100,000 to the partnership.

Karyn Davidman, who works for U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Deerfield, said she receives calls from veterans seeking help with housing. She believes these apartments will fill the need.

“To create these units is so fantastic,” she said while exchanging business cards with officials from the partnership and the Lovell health center.

Lake Forest 83-year-old Alice Valentine, who has served as a guardian on Lake County Honor Flights trips to Washington, D.C., checked out the new apartment Friday and left impressed.

“I’m amazed at what they are doing. There should be more of these. It’s a wonderful gift to these families,” she said.

White said officials at Lovell asked her if the partnership could help a woman who has been living in her vehicle since her veteran husband passed away.

“They just told me about that and I think that’s close enough,” she said.