Raise the Roof: CHA's Monthly Newsletter

CHA NEWSLETTER | January 2024

DEVELOPMENT UPDATE: CHECKING IN ON ROOSEVELT SQUARE 3B

Last January, CHA joined Related Midwest and other partners for the groundbreaking of Roosevelt Square Phase 3B, a $172 million project that included the rehabilitation of 184 existing affordable apartments as well as the construction of 222 new apartments.

At the one-year mark, here's the current status:

The 184 rental apartments being rehabilitated were originally constructed in 2005 as part of the first rental phase of Roosevelt Square. Although the buildings were well-maintained over the years, they were due for replacement of various systems, including roofs, mechanicals and windows, and modernized finishes. At this moment, the rehabilitation portion of the project is 99% done, with completion expected by March/April 2024.

Several new buildings are currently under construction and on track for completion this year, including:

1257-1357 West Roosevelt, a six-story, 70-apartment midrise building with ground floor commercial space (49% construction completion); and

1002 South Racine, a six-story, 67-apartment building (47 percent construction completion);

The National Public Housing Museum portion of this project, which includes the substantial rehabilitation of 15 apartments in the former Jane Addams building at 925 South Ada, is at 67% construction completion.

CHA SCHOLARS “TAKE FLIGHT” AT CORPORATE NETWORKING EVENT

Nearly 100 CHA college students joined representatives from 18 Chicago-area corporations, including BMO Harris, the Obama Foundation, and Cabrera Capital Markets, for the agency’s annual Take Flight Networking and Recruiting event. Sponsored by Springboard to Success, CHA’s non-profit partner, the check-in event is designed to keep CHA scholars on track to obtaining a degree and gaining access to 2024 internship and employment opportunities. In addition to networking opportunities, students were offered resume reviews, raffles and professional headshots.

Learn more about Take Flight by watching the video here.

RESIDENT SPOTLIGHT: CHA SCHOLARSHIP PUT THERAPIST JORDAN HENDERSON ON THE RIGHT TRACK

The application period for the 2024-2025 CHA/Springboard to Success (S2S) Scholarship is now open. This year, 125 scholarships of $2,000 apiece are being offered. Any current CHA resident planning to enroll in an accredited post-secondary institution in the Fall of 2024 is eligible to apply.

Jordan Henderson utilized the CHA Scholarship on his way to receiving a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northern Illinois University. He is now a Licensed Professional Therapist at the Chicago Department of Public Health.

“Winning the CHA scholarship has helped me to give back to my community,” Henderson said. “I enjoy using my personal backgrounds and experiences to inform how I practice therapy and assist those I am working with.”

The application deadline is May 15, 2024. To apply for the CHA scholarship, click here.

LEVELUP HELPS 45 CHA RESIDENTS ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS

CHA celebrated 45 new graduates of LevelUp at a ceremony held on Saturday, January 27. LevelUp is a wealth-building program that encourages residents to unlock their economic power by providing financial incentives as they reach their life goals.

Together, the 45 residents who graduated this month earned nearly $300,000. Their accomplishments included:

5 became homeowners
7 increased their credit score
3 transitioned off housing subsidy
1 obtained a master’s degree
2 obtained a bachelor’s degree
1 obtained an associate degree
8 completed a Training/Certificate/Certification Program
All graduates maintained employment for at least 12 months

“We are proud of these 45 graduates who have sacrificed and saved as they embark on the realization of their dreams,” said CHA CEO Tracey Scott. “This program is about investing in yourself and building your personal power. We are proud of them for staying the course as CHA continues to lend its support to ensure participants of this program achieve their goals.”

STAFF SPOTLIGHT:

CHA STAFFERS COMBAT HOMELESSNESS AS POINT IN TIME VOLUNTEERS

CHA Marketing Manager Nicole Berry enjoyed a distinguished career in city government even before arriving at CHA in 2022. A consistently cheerful and competent co-worker, you wouldn’t know that Berry experienced homelessness as a young teenager. “When my grandparents died, we lost the house,” she said. “It became couch-surfing for my mother and I until we had our own home. It lasted a little while. But it made us very resilient. And it had a happy ending”

This personal experience is what drove Berry to join thousands of other Chicagoans for the 2024 Point in Time (PIT) Count, the annual snapshot of the number of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in Chicago. Volunteer groups canvassed neighborhoods in cities all over the nation overnight on Thursday, January 25. This year was Berry’s third time volunteering.

Berry also ran into a familiar face that evening – Rishab Mehan, CHA’s Director of Planning and Development, who was participating in the Count in Chicago for the first time. “It was very humanizing seeing someone who you might walk right past in the day but then you see them there at midnight and it’s raining and freezing,” Mehan said. “It strikes you in a different way.”

Top photo credit: Chicago Mayor's Office

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