This is regarding “World-class look for North Side shelter; Architect Helmut Jahn is lending his modernist vision to a proposal that would house former Cabrini-Green residents and the homeless” (Page 1, Jan. 14).
Jahn’s design for the Lakefront Supportive Housing development is a dynamic and modern new twist on an old idea in single room occupancy housing. This new, 100-unit development at Division Street and Clybourn Avenue illustrates how effective “supportive” housing–combining comprehensive, on-site support services with permanent housing–can be toward ending the cycle of homelessness and giving individuals the chance to rebuild their lives.
It is also a perfect example of the city’s continued commitment to providing access to this type of housing for residents in need.
The development was selected through Mayor Richard M. Daley’s Supportive Housing Initiative, which has committed $45 million to build or rehab more than 750 units of supportive housing. The Department of Housing has invested more than $100 million toward 3,000 units of supportive housing citywide since 1989. We are excited not only to have another futuristic and environmentally friendly Jahn-designed building on our skyline but also to provide another affordable housing development with on-site support services that will assist former CHA residents and homeless individuals with the resources they need to improve their lives.
