WCHA 75 Years Brochure~6

1940 – 2015Winnebago County, Illinois

Celebrating

Serving Families in Northern Illinois with Affordable Housing

75 YEARS

WCHA WINNEBAGO COUNTYHOUSING AUTHORITY

75 Y EA R S ~ S E RV I NG FAM I L I E S I N NORTH E RN I L L I NO I S W I T H AF FORDAB L E HOU S I NG

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The Winnebago County Housing AuthorityHelps low- and moderate-income families with affordable andquality homes so they can work, learn and enjoy life. The WCHAis a regional agency that provides housing, self-sufficiency andenrichment programs to help build communities.

Key Facts About Winnebago County Housing Authority

� Serve and assist more than 1,500 families to become more self-sufficient

� Help clients move from rental assistance to homeownership

� Partner with other organizations to fight poverty

� Manage 20-plus programs to assist families

� Administered $65 million in housing development since 2007

� Operate affordable housing programs in Winnebago, Boone,Stephenson, Jo Daviess and Ogle Counties

� Designated as a High-Performing Agency by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Collier Garden Apartments

Robert Johnston Garden Apartments

D’Agnolo GardenApartments

Champion Park


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The residential communities below aremanaged by the WCHA. Many moreproperties are in the authority’s portfolio,including Westport Village, Ken-RockApartments and the Rental HousingSupport Program.� Collier Garden Apartments

2901 Searles Avenue Rockford, Illinois 61101

� 150 apartments with privatebalconies and patios, communitygarden and more for low- tomoderate-income families, elderlyand people with disabilities

� Robert Johnston Garden Apartments1615 Blackhawk Boulevard South Beloit, Illinois 61080

� 50 apartments that offer spaciouscommunity areas and beautifulgrounds for low- to moderate-incomefamilies, elderly and people withdisabilities

� D’Agnolo Garden Apartments806 Kocher Rockton, Illinois 61072

� 50 apartments in a manicured-gardensetting for low- to moderate-incomefamilies, elderly and people withdisabilities

� Champion Park Neighborhood of Washington Park Community Center,Rockford, Illinois 61103

� 150 new, single-family homes, bothrented and sold to families

LEONA CASEY Collier Garden Apartments Resident“Everybody knows you by name here. Myneighbors run in to see if I need anything fromthe store and they’ll get it for me. My son ishappy I’m here,” said Leona Casey.

She’s lived at Collier inRockford for nine years andlikes the quiet atmosphere.Mrs. Casey and herneighbor across the halltake turns cooking for eachother. When she wantsmore company, sheparticipates in events at the community room. “We have birthday parties,Christmas parties, bakesales and more. We sellcookies to each other anduse the money for ourparties!” she explained.

ELLIE MYERS Robert Johnston Garden Apartments Resident“Even though I had to give up my house to movehere, I was thrilled to have space for my angelcollections. And, everybody loves Benji, myYorkie!” said Ellie Myers, a resident of RobertJohnston Garden Apartments in South Beloit.

“At first I didn’t knowanybody here, but now I’vemade friends. I do biblestudy on Wednesdays,coffee on Wednesdays andSaturdays, and cards onThursdays. I plantedflowers outside near myapartment and have hadmany compliments onthem. Once in a while,several of us will go to amovie together and maybego out to eat. It’s beengreat,” Mrs. Myers related.“They even have safetychecks to make sure we’reOK,” she added.

Winnebago County Housing Authority Residences

Leona Casey enjoys the quietenvironment ofCollier GardenApartments.

Ellie Myers and herYorkie, Benji, whogets along with theother dogs at theRobert JohnstonGarden Apartments.

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Housing, Self-Sufficiency and Enrichment ProgramsThe Winnebago County HousingAuthority manages a wide range ofprograms that assist clients move toward self-sufficiency. � Housing Choice Voucher

Program (Section 8)Rent assistance to eligible low-incomefamilies that increase their affordablehousing options. In Winnebago andStephenson Counties there are 516 families in this program.� National Community

Stabilization Trust. With NCST grants, the WCHA focuses on renovating foreclosed homes forclients. This stabilizes neighborhoods and provides new beginnings for families. With the foreclosed housingrecovery and renovation programs,WCHA provides homes for 20 RockfordHousing Authority families in Rockfordand South Beloit.

History of Winnebago CountyHousing Authority

The U.S. Housing Act of 1937, part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’sNew Deal, designated federal fundsto improve and increase housing forlow-income families. To administerthese funds, many public housingauthorities began in 1940, as did the Winnebago County HousingAuthority.Our roots began by serving veterans.On September 11, 1940, WinnebagoCounty established the WinnebagoCounty Housing Authority toeliminate substandard housing in thecounty and replace it with quality,low-rent housing. Also, the creationof Camp Grant in 1917 in Rockford asa U.S. Army training center duringWorld War I and an induction/trainingcenter in World War II displacedmany families in the area, soproviding housing for them wasanother responsibility of the WCHA.

Today the WCHA continues to serveveterans as part of its mission.Veterans receive preferred status onour wait lists. About twenty percentof our residents are veterans or thesurviving spouses of veterans.

Camp Grant, the U.S. Army training center,factored into the establishment of theWinnebago County Housing Authority.

Two young residents of Champion Park, a development of single-family homes.


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� Family Self-Sufficiency ProgramHousing voucher participants can becomeeconomically independent and self-sufficient, transitioning from assistedhousing to homeownership.� Washington Park

Community CenterThe WCHA partnered with the RockfordPark District to expand and upgrade theWashington Park Community Center with$1.4 million in grants. The center offersGED classes, Certified Nursing Assistanttraining, employment assistance, andeducational, enrichment and athleticactivities for children, teens and adults.� Boone County Housing AuthorityWCHA partners with the Boone CountyHousing Authority to manage theHousing Choice Voucher program for 238 families in Boone County

The WCHA has many additional programs � Onsite Nursing Programs� Resident Opportunities and

Supportive Services � Rental Assistance Demonstration

Program � Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

Program � Rental Housing Support Program � Rural Housing Program � Winnebago Homes Association

Program, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit arm of WCHA

� Neighborhood Networks ComputerCenter at Washington ParkCommunity Center, Collier Garden,Johnston Garden and D’AgnoloGarden Apartments.

� Replacement Housing Fund Program � Capital Fund Financing Program � American Revitalization and

Reinvestment Program � HOME Program � HOPE VI Mixed-Income Housing

Program � Affordable Housing Program � Family Unification Program� and many others

OSF St. Anthony student nurse Chuck Prybylowski takes the blood pressure of Collier Garden resident Lucille Lambert.OSFSA student nurses make twice-weeklywellness visits to many WCHA residences.

WCHA resident at a Neighborhood NetworksComputer Center.

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Winnebago County Housing Authority Board of DirectorsThe WCHA is governed by a board of commissioners appointed by Winnebago County Chairman Scott Christiansen.

Winnebago County Housing Authority StaffHudhaifa Albayati, Kristin Andrews, Ellen Barlow, Patricia Carter, Christina Coon, Linda Cornell, Felicia Davis, Lynn Foster, Yolanda Freeman, Vince Gulotta, Vickie Huwe, Christina Jankowski, Tom Shull, Jessica Vanegas, Annie Williams, Towana Williams and Alan Zais.

Regions ServedThe Winnebago County Housing Authority, inpartnership with other counties, is the administratorof affordable housing programs for neighboringcounties. This partnership serves Boone, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago Counties.

Jo Daviess Stephenson Winnebago Boone

Ogle

Winnebago CountyCity of RockfordStar Holdings of Illinois, LLCBoone County Housing AuthorityRockford Housing AuthorityFreeport Housing AuthorityRockford Park DistrictRAMPOSF St. Anthony School of Nursing

Rockford Health ServicesRockford Career College 1st Family HealthcareRock Valley CollegeHomestartKen-Rock Community CenterU.S. Department of Housing and

Urban DevelopmentIllinois Housing Development Authority

The Winnebago County Housing Authority Values Our Many PartnersBelow are some of our many key partners.

LEFT TO RIGHT:Jim Hughes, Alanna Conard, Fred Wescott, Chair; Dina Getty, Vice Chair; Pearl Hawks, Ron Ballard and Phyllis Spiess.


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2015 National Association of Housingand Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO)Neighborhood Stabilization ProgramAward

2015 NAHRO Community DevelopmentAchievement Award

2014 NAHRO Program Innovation andProject Design Award

2014 NAHRO Program Innovation inAffordable Housing Award

2014 NAHRO Program Innovation andCommunity Development Award

2013 NAHRO Housing and CommunityDevelopment Award

2013 NAHRO Community Revitalizationand Development Award

2011 NAHRO Excellence in AffordableHousing Award

2009 Illinois Association of HousingAuthorities Excellence for OutstandingCreativity Award

2009 NAHRO Program Innovation inResident and Client Services Award

2007 Nan McKay Excellence in Housing Award

2007 Illinois Park and Recreations andRockford Park District CommunityService Award

2007 NAHRO Program Innovation inResident and Client Services Award

2005 Illinois Association of HousingAuthorities Excellence in OutstandingResident Relations Award

2000 NAHRO Administrative InnovationAward

2014 WCHA Board Chair Fred Wescottreceived the North Central RegionalNAHRO Alvira Long Memorial Awardfor Commissioners

2011 WCHA Board Chair Fred Wescottreceived the NAHRO Elizabeth B.Wells Memorial Award forCommissioner of the Year

More than 25 local families received theNAHRO National Resident Roll ofAchievers Awards

Thank YouThank you for allowing the Winnebago County Housing Authority to serve ourcommunities with affordable homes and self-sufficiency programs for 75 years.

Referrals WelcomedIf you know someone whom we can assist with affordable housing, pleaseencourage them to contact the Winnebago County Housing Authority at815.963.2133 or [email protected].

Awards and RecognitionsThe Winnebago County Housing Authority has been continuously recognized for service excellence by our peers, including the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials.

The Winnebago County Housing Authority continues to improve and expand our services and resources

to serve families in northern Illinois. Please visit our website and Facebook for updates.

WINNEBAGO COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY3617 Delaware StreetRockford, IL 61102

815.963.2133In the Washington Park

Community Recreation Center

Alan Zais, Executive Director

[email protected]

www.facebook.com/winnebagocountyhousingauthority

©2015 Winnebago County Housing Authority. All rights reserved. 4C / 10-15 / RLC

Celebrating

75 YEARS

WCHA WINNEBAGO COUNTYHOUSING AUTHORITY

WCHA 75 Years Brochure~6

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