Above / Naperville Elderly Homes, also known as Martin Avenue Apartments, are located at 310 W. Martin Avenue in Naperville, Illinois!
Naperville, September 27, 2018 – Naperville Elderly Homes (“NEH”) has secured an award of $14 million dollars of Low Income Housing Tax Credits (“LIHTC”) from the Illinois Housing Development Authority. The equity generated from these credits will be combined with other proposed funding from Wintrust Bank, DuPage County and the City of Naperville, to renovate and expand the affordable living facilities.
NEH, also known as Martin Avenue Apartments, is a nonprofit housing facility which provides affordable living accommodations for low income seniors, located north of Edward Hospital in Naperville. Dave Weeks, who leads the board of volunteers, is looking forward to the extensive renovations, stating that the renovation will ensure that existing seniors will be well-served for the next 40 years, as well as help to fill the critical shortage of quality, affordable senior housing in Naperville and surrounding communities.
Naperville Elderly Homes (NEH)
Founded in 1974, NEH is comprised of 120 studio and one-bedroom units, and has remained at full capacity with an extensive waiting list since opening. To meet the need for additional units, the board applied for a grant from LIHTC, a state-administered federal program that encourages public-private partnerships. The grant was awarded to NEH in May 2018. The funds will allow NEH to expand their capacity and services with a drastic upgrade, so they can continue to provide the best housing value and services for low income seniors.
The NEH Board awarded the expansion project to architecture firm Worn Jerabek Wiltse to design the renovations and expansion, which includes rehabbing all 120 existing studio and one-bedroom units and expanding the facility by 70 additional units in a new five story structure. Renovation on existing units include new bathrooms with easy entry showers, appliances, finishes, granite countertops, LED lighting, new carpeting, and increased safety measures such as shower benches and wall railings. Total cost of the project is expected to be about $29 million dollars.
Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2019, with an estimated completion date in Spring 2020.
On October 23, NEH will host a private event for residents, supporters, and partners, to celebrate the expansion.
NEH also will host a meeting in early November open to the public to share details on the project and answer questions. Details on this meeting can be found on the NEH website.
Story submitted by Jenny Shepherd for NEH.
