Waukegan woman donates home to nonprofit housing organization

A Waukegan community advocate who inherited a 115-year-old home from a former Lake County News-Sun employee donated it to the Affordable Housing Corporation of Lake County.

The three-bedroom, single family house at 920 North Ave. in Waukegan belonged to Mary (May) Lockhart, a Scottish immigrant who, for many years, worked as secretary to the newspaper's editor. Lockhart, who died at age 92 last year, left the home to her lifelong friend and caretaker, Marilynn Moisio.

"I decided to donate the house to the Affordable Housing Corporation of Lake County because I am confident how well they run the organization and I've seen how they help the community," Moisio said at a recent event honoring her longtime volunteerism and commitment to the Lake County community.

"May would be thrilled to know her home is helping the community," Moisio said.

The donated home was rehabilitated and sold to a local family, according to Rob Anthony, the nonprofit's executive director. The proceeds, he said, will be used to acquire and rehabilitate other blighted properties in the community, which will then be sold at affordable prices to other working families.

"The beauty of this donation is that it never ends," Anthony said.

The sales proceeds from each home will be recycled to repair property after property and help family after family.

"Marilyn's gift will continue to improve the local housing stock, strengthen neighborhoods and house families into the future. What a wonderful legacy that Marilyn and May leave the community," he said.

The Affordable Housing Corporation of Lake County (AHC) is a HUD-certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers communities and residents to rent homes, buy homes, repair homes and save homes from foreclosure in Lake County.

More information is available at www.ahclc.org.

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