PEORIA, Ill. – The city of Peoria has given a lifeline to keep downtown’s New Hope Apartments open for the time being.
The city council Tuesday night unanimously approved $300,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for fire protection or hiring additional staff at the supportive living facility. This comes after the building was briefly condemned after two recent arson incidents.
The fire department had determined the building could not be occupied without ongoing security for a fire watch, due to the lack of working fire alarms in the building. The Red Cross is providing temporary support through December 18th, and around 20 people will be relocated to either Dream Center of Pathway Ministries.
Potential uses for the $300,000 includes replacing or fixing the fire alarm system, hiring a full-time fire watch crew at the property, hiring additional staff, or providing funds to help some of the residents relocate.
“It’s a band-aid to a very severe wound, but what we don’t want to have happen is 72 individuals find themselves unhoused as we enter the coldest part of the winter,” said 4th District Councilman Andre Allen at the meeting.
Community Development Director Joe Dulin told council members that the money will also help because New Hope had been operating in a deficit, and has been unable to make needed repairs. Those expenses include utilities, pest control, insurance, and staffing. Dulin adds that federal rental subsidies have not kept up with fair market rents.
Even with the funding approved Tuesday night, the future of New Hope is still uncertain. Dulin says recent changes to the federal funding process through the Department of Housing and Urban Development have severely cut the amount of funding available for permanent supportive housing.
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