Church leaders' faith helps bring new homes to the West Side

A group of West Side clergymen are showing they mean business about putting theological principles to work in the service of mankind.

Members of the Interfaith Organizing Project of Greater Chicago (IOP), led by Pastor George Daniels and Dr. Arthur Griffith of the First Baptist Congregational Church, demonstrated the principle by forming a collaboration of 10 West Side churches that have brought more than $30 million to their community in housing and economic development.

The pastors believe in rendering service close to home, and in that spirit they broke ground last week for their latest project, the 21-unit Nehemiah Homes Development in West Garfield Park.

The pastors and their fellow IOP members say they're happy to serve through helping to build affordable housing that provides West Side residents the opportunity to own property while adding real estate value and stability to their community.

The leaders have a record of achieving that, and the newest project is an affordable home ownership initiative setup with the Chicago Department of Housing.

Called New Homes for Chicago, it encourages new construction of homes for purchase by moderate-income, working individuals and families. The program does so by providing subsidies of $30,000 per home through a reduction in cost to each buyer. It works out to be a write-down for the new homeowners that reduces a home's sale price.

Those who take part are expected to meet a series of city housing regulations, including income guidelines and family size.

They're also expected to stay in their new homes for at least ten years. That's one of the key elements in creating a stable neighborhood.

New Homes for Chicago is an example of the pastors' goal of attracting government help to rebuild decrepit, threatened areas. But it's not housing alone they seek.

The IOP leaders believe the private/public partnership with the Housing Department should serve residents in a holistic approach to solving problems and developing strong communities whose tax base ultimately contributes to the civic good and to the city's budget. Child care, health care and other social services are all part of the New Homes initiative.

The example it sets is expected to promote the IOP idea and increase the stock of affordable housing throughout the city.

Leaders say they are responding in a timely way with bricks and mortar to the need to alleviate shortages created by long lists of former Chicago Housing Authority residents who, they say, are displaced by CHA's Plan for Transformation of public housing.

That's a fine, practical contribution to the burgeoning affordable housing problem, the combination of a humane, faith-based solution with help from City Hall in the form of dollars.

The West Side initiative will expand the movement to provide the entire city with affordable housing, its leaders say.

A recent example of its ability to do the job is the assisted living facility at 2800 West Fulton Street, which opened last fall. Progress came after the land was donated and IOP acted as what its leaders call a catalyst with the city and developer Renaissance Company.

That, and IOP's dedication, are examples of faith at work in the city that works.

Article copyright Sengstacke Enterprises, Inc.