CCLF Profile: Uptown Habitat for Humanity

Several years ago, in the walkway between two buildings in West Humboldt Park, Al and Precious were playing a spirited game of basketball. The kids lived in an Uptown Habitat For Humanity building, where their families had moved into affordable condominiums.

Thanks to a unique financing partnership between the Chicago Community Loan Fund and the Chicago Rehab Network, construction began on the formerly run-down, drug-infested building next door.

Uptown Habitat For Humanity began rehabilitation of the building. CCLF, Chicago Rehab Network and Habitat for Humanity International later took over the project, and converted the building into seven large, condominiums designed to be affordable to individuals and families who earn well below 65% of the area median income (eg., $45,000 or less annually for a family of four).

For a down payment as low as $750 and a monthly mortgage payment of $400 to 500, as well as 300 hours of volunteer time spent working on the building, buyers were able to afford safe, newly refurbished housing.

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