Communities must step up to fill need for housing for disabled

Little did I know, back in 1969 to 1973, when I worked as State Special Education Coordinator for Gov. Richard B. Ogilvie, that in 2024 we, in Illinois, would still be fighting the battle to develop permanent supportive housing in Illinois. But sadly, that is the case.

There is so much misinformation circulating and because of that It is important that we provide correct and accurate information about permanent supportive housing and more specifically, Grace Terrace in Arlington Heights.

On its website, The Housing Task Force advocacy group states that permanent supportive housing, also known as PSH, is affordable rental housing for people with disabilities and very low incomes. Plus, it provides social and health services, including behavioral and physical health, that the residents want and need to successfully live independently in our community. The housing is permanent, meaning there are no time limits on how long a resident can live there.

For Grace Terrace, this means that to live there, residents must have both a disability and low income, with preference given to veterans.

Currently there are about 3,000 veterans living in the Arlington Heights area. Right now, there is only one building in Arlington Heights, only one building specifically designated as PSH— Hearts Place, an incredibly successful 18-unit building.

In the surrounding communities, there are a total of 147 units designated as PSH, all with currently closed wait lists. The state has recently worked to identify local and state level needs for PSH. This process identified a need for more than 6,000 additional units of PSH to house vulnerable populations across the state.

A 2011 market study requested by Arlington Heights for Boeger Place, a village-rejected PSH proposal located in Arlington Heights, noted that there was a need for 973 units of PSH for people with mental health issues within a 5-mile radius of the proposed complex.

The need is so great that the Illinois Housing Development Authority has set a goal of increasing its annual production of PSH units by nearly 200% over the coming years in order to help meet the demand for this type of housing in Illinois.

I have personally come to know several of the residents who live in PSH that the Housing Task Force has helped to create. They love living there and are grateful for the opportunity to be able to live independently. Many of those needing PSH are adult children still living by necessity with their parents. The support services offered help them to live their best lives. To that end, the Housing Task Force has networked with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce to potentially provide employment opportunities for Grace Terrace residents interested in and capable of working in our community. Residents can also continue their education while living in Grace Terrace.

Full Circle is a leading national provider and developer of permanent supportive housing. Full Circle now owns more than 1,100 units in three states, with another 1,000 approved or under construction. Their portfolio of properties has a combined average service budget of over $1 million per year, none of which is reliant upon grants or fundraisers. Those funds are put toward Full Circle’s goal of making housing a firm foundation for life and transforming the company’s properties into communities that both house and support their residents.

I’d also like to point out that Full Circle is unique in that it returns 75% of developer’s fees and ongoing cash flow to provide services to residents. On-site service staff work with residents to determine what support services they need and will provide those directly and/or refer them to services in the community.

As a longtime resident of Arlington Heights, I urge our community “of Good Neighbors” to support Grace Terrace and other viable supportive housing proposals to give those with disabilities in our community a place to call home. Further, I plead with the citizens of Illinois and its elected officials to develop a serious plan to fill the desperate need for permanent supportive housing in our state.

• Arlen S. Gould, of Arlington Heights, is a member of the Housing Task Force, a housing advocacy group for people with special needs in the North and Northwest suburbs.