The Arc of the Quad Cities Area, along with Rock Island Housing Authority Community Home Partners, is proposing to build 24 Permanent Supportive Housing units at 4601 53rd Street in Moline.
The apartments will be for residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
“This project will create a welcoming environment where individuals can thrive while receiving the support they need to live meaningful and fulfilling lives,” said Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati in a press release.
Chief Development and Strategy Officer for The Arc of the Quad Cities Area, Sarah Wright, said the $9.2 million project, called Heritage Homes, is unique because it will not only provide housing but also services.
“We are happy to take the lead on providing those important services so that people can stay housed. And really, housing is the foundation on which people can build the lives that they want to live and receive the services that they need to thrive,” Wright said in an interview with WVIK on Friday, June 5th.
A $7.5 million grant from the Illinois Housing Development Authority’s Permanent Supportive Housing Development Program is covering most of the project cost. Wright noted the money adds to previous grant funding.
“Another grant through the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to help with the demolition of the site,” Wright said. “So we are left with $1.3 million left to raise. So we will be seeking funds from our community and community support to bring the project to fruition.”
Wright said the project has been three years in the making: “We were unsuccessful in prior years' rounds until we got the right partners in place, and Community Home Partners really became a strategic partner for us to bring the project forward.”
“Housing is the foundation upon which people build their lives,” John Chow, Executive Director & C.E.O. Community Home Partners, said in a press release. “Heritage Homes will provide more than a place to live; it will provide stability, opportunity, and a sense of belonging.”
The organization hopes to begin demolishing the existing structure to build the new units and facilities this September. The building belongs to The Arc, and it’s been vacant for nearly a decade. It used to be an Intermediate Care Facility for the Intellectually Disabled (ICFDD). Wright said The Arc has moved away from that model of care and has moved everyone into Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILA) homes, also known as group homes.
The estimated completion date for the development is the summer of 2027.
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