Birchwood Apartments are officially complete! This rehabilitation project in Grand Marais preserves 24 affordable homes and protects one of the few affordable housing developments in Cook County for years to come.
When One Roof Community Housing took ownership of the property, years of deferred maintenance, aging systems, and water damage threatened the future of this important community asset. Through a comprehensive rehabilitation, Birchwood received major building upgrades, fully renovated apartments, site improvements, and new community amenities.
“If you see the before pictures, you’ll know that this is kind of like the extreme home makeover project,” said Jeff Corey, CEO of One Roof Community Housing.
Cook County is working to map out a long-term housing solution amid near-zero rental vacancies and rising home prices. The Birchwood project marks a step toward preserving existing affordable housing in the area.
“Finding a place to call home in a town as beautiful as Grand Marais shouldn’t feel like an impossible feat,” Mayor Tracy Benson said.
Jeff Brand, executive director of the Cook County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, called the investment a vital economic lifeline.
“And the economy goes hand in hand with housing. And the housing goes hand in hand with child care and education and health care. And these are decisions that when you pull one thread, everything kind of comes with it,” Brand said.
Read the full story from Northern News Now.
Photo credit: One Roof Community Housing
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