Collaborating to Bring Affordable Housing to the Garfield Park Neighborhood

Garfield Park Lofts, an affordable housing project lead by community developer LincUp has been in the works for several years. In 2016, after being unable to secure funding, LincUp reached out to Dwelling Place to partner in the development of Garfield Park Lofts, located in the Garfield Park Neighborhood. “Low Income Housing Tax Credit, or LIHTC funding, at that time, required certain experience and we were falling short on the numbers,” explained LincUp Executive Director Jeremy DeRoo, “Dwelling Place was able to help us bring up those numbers and we were awarded $934,988 in LIHTC Funding in 2017.” Garfield Park Lofts is currently under construction and will be completed before the end of this year. The affordable housing development will bring 36 apartments to 100 Burton St. SE and it will be the first multi-family development in the Garfield Park Neighborhood in over 30 years.

DeRoo talked about how important collaboration is to community development. “It is essential to work with partners who share similar goals,” remarked DeRoo, “Dwelling Place understands how vital housing is to the health and stability of a community.” Both LincUp and Dwelling Place work to revitalize communities and understand that housing is only one piece of the puzzle. Housing provides a foundation and serves as a catalyst in people’s lives. DeRoo also points out that when community partners come together to address affordable housing they also begin to examine and tackle complex, interrelated issues such unemployment, wages, and poverty. DeRoo concludes, “Through collaboration and partnership, we were able to bring Garfield Park Lofts to fruition and together we will continue to strengthen and grow our communities.”