The Alsip Planning and Zoning Commission is set to consider this week whether BEDS Plus, a southwest suburban nonprofit focused on supporting homeless people, should expand into the village with a supportive housing apartment complex.
The commission is scheduled to vote Wednedsay on the $14 million plan to construct two 3-story buildings with a total of 50 units for qualifying chronically homeless people with disabilities. The nonprofit plans to construct the buildings in two phases, with the western end of the 12147 S. Cicero Ave., parcel constructed first and the eastern portion planned for 2030.
BEDS Plus Executive Director Tina Rounds said the organization chose the property, which belonged to a church that closed several years ago, due to its proximity to public transportation and job opportunities that don’t require specific training. To qualify for state funding, these factors as well as access to resources such as food pantries are important, Rounds said.
“This site met all those criteria, so that’s why we pursued it,” she said.
The nonprofit opened a similar facility in 2018 in La Grange, despite concerns raised by village trustees and community members about the potential impact on nearby property values, safety, a drain on village services for the homeless from outside La Grange and the loss of a commercial opportunity and tax revenue.
Rounds said the La Grange apartments are inconspicuous and blend in to the larger community. They have also become a gathering place for people interested in homelessness as a larger issue.
“So we have Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and moms and retired people that have become involved and really enriched the experience of the client,” Rounds said. “It’s been really lovely. So I’m hoping we can continue that, just give people an outlet and something tangible to help somebody in their community and get to know people.”
Examples of that involvement include an Eagle Scout teaching guitar to three apartment residents and volunteers from churches organizing Sunday potluck dinners at one of the La Grange buildings, Rounds said.
Alsip Mayor John Ryan declined to comment on the BEDS Plus proposal, saying he doesn’t have enough information as the nonprofit has yet to present its proposal to the Village Board. Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Melissa Brochu did not respond to requests for comment.
To qualify for the Alsip housing, residents must be chronically homeless and have a disabling condition, which Rounds said often prevents them from working or living independently.
Those interested must apply for a building waitlist, which opens every few years. For each opening, three people are pulled from the waitlist and provided an additional application for vetting that verifies assets, credit history and criminal history.
“We want a safe, peaceful environment for everybody,” Rounds said.
Residents must contribute 30% of their income toward rent, with the nonprofit subsidizing the difference between the market rate and what they can afford.
The buildings will be drug and alcohol free, though sobriety is not a requirement for residents. The La Grange facility has on-site Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and a monthly art therapy program. Residents accepted to the Alsip facility will similarly have access to case management, community-based services and activities set by a tenant council.
“It’s not a halfway house, which sometimes people might have that association,” Rounds said. “But what we do do is work with people on their goals, and they have to maintain the behavior management agreement with our lease. We find that those mixture of parameters help really deter and reduce any incidents related to substance use.”
Rounds said most residents are single and older, though residents can be approved to have one other person living with them.
The Alsip Planning and Zoning Commission meets at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Alsip Village Hall, 4500 W. 123rd St.
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