Holsten Human Capital Development
The New Face of Affordable Housing
Many passing the former locations of the vertical high rise public housing buildings known as Cabrini, Hilliard Towers, and North Town Village, and see modern high rise buildings where the eyesores used to be …might wonder … what happened to the men, women, children, families who called buildings home for years? And are affordable housing residents allowed in the modern new structures?
Kendra Freeman, a resident of Chicago Heights, who began working for Holsten Development twelve years ago during the building of Northtown Village (Halsted & Evergreen) has the answer “We quickly realized there was a need to work with the 80 families who were moving from public housing … housing in which some of them had lived for generations … into brand new housing next door to people were paying market rate and people who were buying their homes. It was clear that most of those moving from public housing - into brand new apartments needed help to become self-sufficient. We are the new face of public housing.”
Find out what's happening in Chicago Heightsfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
At Holsten Human Capital Development (not for profit) where she is executive director, Jackson continues “ we do just as the name says: we help develop the human potential. We meet with the families to help with paperwork … we give them a social services assessment to find out what help they might need - - and for what social services assistance they might be eligible. We provide “good neighbor” training … and ‘move in orientation’ … where we go over everything from how to operate a dishwasher to how to operate central air/heat units … some were accustomed to buying those huge 30 gallon trash bags – and had to be taught that those bags filled with trash could not fit into the garbage chute in the new modern buildings! Holsten Human Capital Development now manages 2,200 units in 14 buildings … and recently received a $720,000 ROSS Grant to continue its work in providing social/human services to residents of affordable housing.
2013 fundraising gala: Third Annual Community Sustainability Awards to be held October 17, 2013 in Baumhart Hall of Loyola University – the event will honor Mary R. Kenney, who is executive Director of the Illinois Housing Development Authority - for her commitment to building healthy communities throughout the State. For information please ring 312.274.9122 or email rsvp@holstenchicago.org
