IHDA Sends Congratulations to Gorman & Company, Inc., RHA, and Others

  Source: Illinois Housing Development Authority Published: August 30 at 5:27pm Congratulations to Gary Gorman and Andre Blakley of Gorman & Company Inc., Ron Clewer and the Rockford Housing Authority, Boston Capital, Antonio Riley of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and everyone who helped make the Grove at Keith Creek groundbreaking possible. The Grove at Keith Creek is the first phase of the Rockford Housing Authority’s plan to replace the decades old Fairgrounds Valley Apartments, a dilapidated public housing development with 210 apartments on the west side of Rockford. The Grove will consist of 17 residential buildings with 49 units (one and two-story townhomes and duplexes designed in traditional colonial and craftsman style) of family housing plus a community building constructed on vacant land in a mixed-use, mixed-income neighborhood. The development will largely be occupied by current Fairgrounds Valley residents, who will have access to a variety of resident services to promote self-sufficiency and healthy living, including health and life skills, financial and computer literacy, and referral services provided by the United Way of Rockford. Thirty units will provide residents with project-based rental assistance from HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration program, with the remaining 19 units reserved for residents at 60% of the area median income. Now more than ever, the preservation and modernization of affordable housing is critical. The Census reports that over half of all renters in Rockford are cost burdened, meaning they spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent. There’s a growing demand for affordable apartments, and much of what is available is outdated and only getting older. The good news is that the RHA and Gorman have been working to transform public housing in Rockford and preserve its affordability over the long term so residents have somewhere decent and affordable to live. And thanks to Antonio Riley and HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration Program, hundreds of Rockford apartments will stay affordable while getting the upgrades they need, all without increasing costs to the taxpayer. Affordable housing is an investment in the entire community, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to improve the quality of life for Rockford families. Congratulations again to everyone involved! #AffordableHousing]]>