Lake in the Hills affordable housing project now complete

Lake in the Hills will host a community celebration Wednesday to mark the completion of a new affordable housing project.

The Villas of Lake in the Hills, a 60-unit rental townhouse complex on the south side of Harvest Gate just west of village hall, is a community for veterans, seniors, working families, and people with disabilities or special needs without other housing options.

Rents range from $700 to nearly $1,000 monthly for one, two and three bedrooms, according to village officials.

More than 50 residents will be joined by U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam; Audra Hamernik, executive director of the Illinois Housing Development Authority; project developer Dan Kotcher of DKI; elected officials; and project financiers for the opening ceremony at 10:30 a.m. in The Villas Clubhouse, 600 Harvest Gate.

Lake in the Hills is among several municipalities identified by the state as needing affordable housing.

DKI also built The Residences of Lake in the Hills, a $20.5 million, mixed-income rental community for independent seniors, which opened in 2013. The two-story, 92-unit development offers studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments with a fully equipped kitchen, central heat and air conditioning, and energy efficient windows.

Similar to The Residences, The Villas also offers such amenities as a fitness center, computer center, library, walking paths and a gazebo.

The Villas has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The community is within walking distance of shopping, dining and medical facilities and linked by path to village hall where the parks and recreation department offers programming for seniors.

The project was completed through public-private partnerships undertaken by the Illinois Housing Development Authority, JPMorgan Chase, Chicago Federal Home Loan Bank, and the state of Illinois.