PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The Peoria City/County Health Department is looking to provide better housing options for low-income people in the 61605 ZIP code.
About $700,000 in funds has been made available through the Public Health Equity Fund. That money was distributed through the American Rescue Plan Act — COVID-19 relief money — to address the need for more affordable housing.
The health department is seeking non-profits with a background in home development to lead the project.
Monica Hendrickson, the director of the health department, said two organizations are better than one.
“When you have more individuals that have a skill set and the ability to recognize and be able to put these types of projects together, whether it’s funding from the health department, funding from the city or the county or from your state or federal partners,” she said. “The more partners or expertise we have in a community, the further that we would be able to utilize those resources.”
Pastor Irene Lewis-Wimbley, the director of the Southside Community Center, said there is a dire need for living space.
“I have 11 moms ready and working towards becoming homeowners,” she said. “Problem is, and why I need to bring attention to this situation, there’s no houses for them to live in. Two bedrooms, and maybe we need three and four bedrooms. Houses that can be saved with good bones so these moms can reach their dreams and be good homeowners.”
The non-profits that bid on the project must also be willing to partner with another non-profit to complete the project.
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Jane Genzel, executive director of the Peoria Opportunities Foundation, said they will partner with the Southside Community Center for this project, but also to help the city on a grander scale.
“What we’re hoping is that we do this well, we do it successfully, and then we’re able to find other financing to do more,” she said. “There are many, many aspects to it, and the housing is just one part of it. The only other part of it is creating jobs for the people who live here.”
Through work done by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Determinants of Health Accelerator Plan last year, the Peoria community gave feedback on what is needed in what the health department describes in a press release as “one of the most disinvested regions of our county.”
Joe Dulin, the city of Peoria’s director of community development, shared his excitement.
“The city is very supportive of any project that works to bring additional homeownership opportunities to 61605,” he said. “The project by the health department is a great compliment to the investments the city is making in infrastructure and affordable housing in the area.”
The project is open for bids now. To apply, click here.
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