The 2014 'What Home Means to Me' Poster Contest Winners Announced

The Lake County Housing Authority is proud to congratulate Taylor Smith as the winner of the Illinois What Home Means to Me Poster Contest for the middle age category (6th- 8th grade.)

The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) has joined with affordable housing partners across the state and country in support of NAHRO's Housing America 2014 campaign, which aims to educate decision makers and to raise public consciousness about the critical need for housing and community development initiatives. As part of NAHRO's Housing America campaign, a poster contest is held each year for children residing in affordable housing and community developments owned or administered by NAHRO member agencies. Posters reflect the national theme of What Home Means to Me.

Out of many submissions, the judges voted Taylor Smith's poster the best in the middle age category for this region. "I am personally and professionally very proud of Taylor. The exposure she and others receive from a variety of educational and social activities is instrumental in shaping the lives of well-rounded youth," said David A. Northern, Sr., Executive Director/ CEO of LCHA. Taylor is an energetic and outgoing individual who always strives to make the best out of any situation. She is part of the dance team at Neal Middle School and a strong participant in other LCHA programs such as Cooking for Kids and Horse Therapy.

Taylor's poster represents her dream home full of love and family within the new development on the footprint of the current Marion Jones Townhomes site. Marion Jones is currently undergoing relocation of its residents as demolition will begin in the end of 2014 for an estimated 238 new affordable rental homes for families and seniors on the adjacent site. The new development will be completed in late 2016.

In honor of each winning contestant, IL NAHRO presented each winner an award and prizes including a trip to the Illinois State Fair on August 7, 2014. The award was presented during the IL NAHRO Annual Meeting at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel in Springfield on August 7, 2014. This was Taylor's first time leaving the Lake County region. She was in awe of all that she saw from the State Capitol to the Abraham Lincoln Museum.

National honorees are selected from chapter/state winning entries and announced later this quarter in Baltimore, Maryland. We all wish Taylor Smith the best at Nationals.

For more information on the What Home Means to Me Poster Contest please visit the NAHRO website at www.housingamericacampaign.org. Residents, social service agencies and others are encouraged to visit the LCHA website for more information on the programs offered at http://lakecountyha.org/.