2020 Residential Development that Best Exemplifies Major Community Impact
The Miriam Apartments
Developer: Mercy Housing Lakefront
Location: Chicago, Illinois
The Miriam Apartments combined HTCs, low-income housing tax credits (LIHTCs) and a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 221(d)(4) insured loan to help preserve affordable housing for extremely low-income individuals in Chicago. The development also benefits from a Section 8 contract that covers all 66 apartments.
Built in 1925, the Miriam was a contributing structure to the Sheridan Park Historic District and is one of 19 apartment hotels built before 1930 in Chicago. The developer Mercy Housing Lakefront maintained all 66 apartments, replaced shared bathrooms and communal kitchens with private versions in every studio, and provided new opportunities for the ground floor including a computer room, fitness room and community room.
“For almost 100 years, The Miriam Apartments have provided stable, high-quality housing to Chicagoans who might not otherwise have had access to a home that could serve as the foundation for a better life,” said Mark Angelini, president of Mercy Housing Lakefront. “We are extraordinarily proud of the transformation that has taken place at the Miriam and excited to be able to provide vulnerable members of the community with new amenities and services because of this rehab. The building stands as an example that residents in a permanent supportive housing property can be full participants in their communities–not only enjoying the benefits but also taking an active part in weaving the fabric that makes and holds together a diverse and healthy neighborhood.”