The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded the HIV/AIDS housing and social services agency known as Chicago House $1 million to expand its Fred Woods Home in the Uptown neighborhood, according to an organizational press release. With the Section 811 capital advance, the agency will create six new apartments for families, which will provide a permanent home to an additional 15 children and their parents who are affected by HIV and AIDS.
In 1992, Chicago House became the first local provider of housing for families impacted by AIDS. The Fred Woods Home, which opened in 1997 and is named for one of the agency’s first benefactors, tripled the program’s capacity. Twelve families, including 30 dependent children, now live in two Chicago House residences in Uptown and Edgewater. The expansion will allow for six more families to seek refuge and take advantage of Chicago House’s residential Family Support Program.
The Reverend Stan Sloan, CEO of Chicago House, stated that the organization is ‘grateful to all of our supporters who helped make this happen, including our donors, volunteers and especially Ald. Helen Shiller, who has supported us for more than two decades.’ Construction is expected to begin early in 2007, and should be completed by the middle of the year.
For more information, phone (773) 248-5200, ext. 308 or visit www.chicagohouse.org.