NORTHBROOK, IL — A new 48-unit affordable housing development designed to support individuals and families living with disabilities has opened in downtown Northbrook.
Housing Opportunity Development Corporation joined residents, neighbors, elected officials and funding partners June 30 for the grand opening and ribbon cutting of Poupard Place, a four-story apartment community at 1593 Shermer Road.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle was among the speakers at the ceremony.
"Poupard Place represents what can happen when a community chooses partnership over fear of the unknown," HODC Executive Director Richard Koenig said in a statement. "A home can change the direction of a person's life."
More than 1,200 people applied for the development's 48 apartments, according to HODC.
"Poupard Place shows that supportive housing is not just a development, but a statement about who belongs in our community," Koenig said.
The Northbrook Village Board unanimously approved the development and donated the land on which it was built.
"Poupard Place reflects what is possible when local government, nonprofit partners and community members come together with a shared purpose," Village President Kathryn Ciesla said.
"We believe that everyone deserves an opportunity to live in a welcoming, inclusive community and have a place that they can proudly call home."
The project was developed through partnerships involving HODC, the Illinois Housing Development Authority, Cook County, National Equity Fund, Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, Village Bank & Trust and other public and private organizations.
Cook County invested $3 million in the project, according to Preckwinkle.
"I am grateful that Northbrook has made this commitment," she said. "Cook County's $3 million investment reflects a broader pledge to supporting evidence-based housing models that allow residents to live independently and with dignity."
Suburban Cook County has a shortage of approximately 44,000 affordable rental homes for extremely low-income households, according to the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development.
Officials attributed the shortage to years of limited construction, rising housing prices and increasing demand.
Christine Moran, multifamily financing director for the Illinois Housing Development Authority, said housing is considered unaffordable in six of 10 North Shore communities, including Northbrook.
Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton said communities should provide housing opportunities for people who work locally.
"If you are going to work in our communities, we should find a way that you could live in our communities," Britton said.
Poupard Place is named for retired Northbrook Community Development Director Tom Poupard, who said he hopes the project becomes a model for communities addressing affordable housing needs.
"Seeing this beautiful building gives me hope that Poupard Place will serve as an example for other communities still wrestling with affordable housing stereotypes," Poupard said.
He said he hopes residents will thrive and become part of Northbrook's community, and that future generations will view accessible and inclusive housing as a normal part of local development.
Poupard Place was designed by Cordogan, Clark & Associates and built by Skender.
HODC, founded in 1983, is a nonprofit developer that creates and manages affordable housing for families, seniors, people with disabilities and workers throughout northern Illinois.
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