The Oak Park village board of trustees designated $1 million to Housing Forward for renovations at The Write Inn, a temporary shelter site for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
Half of the money will come from unspent American Rescue Plan Act funding, while the other half is from Community Development Block Grant returned funds. Housing Forward chief executive officer Lynda Schueler said the nonprofit plans to spend the funds within a year.
Oak Park received $38.9 million in ARPA funding, which has been allocated to address COVID-19’s impact on the community and other capital needs. The remaining ARPA funds after the $500,000 allocated to Housing Forward, totaling $184,257, need to be committed by the end of 2024.
At Tuesday night’s village board meeting, trustee Lucia Robinson and trustee Cory Wesley raised concerns about allocating ARPA funding to Housing Forward, both voting against the motion. Robinson and Wesley each said they would have liked the necessary funding to renovate The Write Inn to come solely from CDBG or other funds and spend more time considering where the remaining ARPA dollars could go.
“I’m supportive of the cause, but I’m also supportive of other causes,” Wesley said.
The board, with the exception of trustee Chibuike Enyia, who was absent, unanimously approved allocating the CDBG funding to Housing Forward.
Housing Forward has operated a temporary fixed shelter at The Write Inn since September 2020. The organization purchased the property in November 2023 with support from Cook County in the amount of $6.5 million.
The total budget for rehabilitating The Write Inn is $7.7 million, according to the village. The State of Illinois has provided $3 million of that budget, and Housing Forward has requested $1.5 million from Cook County’s HUD Economic Development Initiative.
The Write Inn, located at 211 N. Oak Park Ave., shelters Housing Forward clients from across all of its service territory in western Cook County, according to the village.
After renovations, Housing Forward is planning for The Write Inn to provide 40 rooms for interim housing, or up to 55 beds, as well as 15 rooms for medical respite care, or 19 beds, said Libby Foster, Housing Forward director of communications.
The rooms will also provide clients with showers, storage and climate control, protecting them from exposure to cold or heat and infection. But all residential units need substantial rehabilitation, including replumbing, to be up to quality and accessibility standards, according to village officials.
Some of the units will still operate as the Recuperation in a Supportive Environment Center for those experiencing health trauma and uncertain refuge, according to the village. Housing Forward has also partnered with Cook County Health to provide short-term medical care for patients experiencing homelessness who are too sick to stay in an overnight shelter or on the streets.
Housing Forward plans to renovate residential and common spaces, laundry areas and the hotel lobby of The Write Inn. The lobby will provide office and storage space, and potentially an area for meals to be served. The renovation will also include a roof replacement and tuck pointing, according to the village.
In addition to housing options for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, Housing Forward provides case management and wraparound services including health and behavioral health services and employment and income support.
“We end homelessness one person at a time through housing,” Housing Forward wrote in its ARPA fund request application. “Safe, stable housing is the foundation on which clients become self-sufficient and rebuild their confidence so they can not only live, but thrive in their community.”
