a message from the president
You made it possible
Central to Mercy Housing Lakefront’s work is the belief that housing is health. Individuals and families without stable homes experience a variety of harmful consequences, including vast and deep health challenges that can negatively impact all areas of their lives. These challenges have only become more pronounced as those with limited means have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
Although life has been hard, for Gregorio, the future is limitless.
Gregorio was born in Puerto Rico but grew up in Chicago. He left high school in the tenth grade to pursue employment and spent time moving around Chicago, eventually becoming a supervisor at an industrial company in the city. Gregorio held this position for 14 years until the company relocated to Naperville. After this transition, he could only find temporary work. It was difficult to make ends meet to support his family, which included three children.
A Fresh Start in Lakeview
Mercy Housing Lakefront served
residents at 31 communities with food relief services*
*from 3/1/20 — 12/31/20
2,933
52
Properties
5,600
Apartment homes
8,100
Residents
mercy housing lakefront impact report
Connections
Portfolio by
unit type
38% Family
34% Senior
28% Supportive
Mercy Housing Lakefront Footprint
Helping Communities Stay Connected
Mercy Housing Lakefront is grateful for the many partners who assisted residents during one of the most challenging years in recent history. In 2020, individuals and organizations generously contributed their time and resources, responding on short notice to address residents’ needs amid a quickly-changing landscape.
Riding into a New Community
Harold, an 83-year-old resident of Mercy Housing Lakefront’s Assisi Homes of Kenosha, feels lucky to be active and engaged with others, especially during a pandemic.
He was born in Germany shortly before World War II and lost his father to the war.
REDI for Action
We have a longstanding commitment to foster racially equitable, diverse, and inclusive (REDI) communities. In 2020, events in the Midwest led the nation to begin a long-overdue racial justice reckoning — a reminder that our work to foster meaningful, positive change is vital.
A Helping Hand in a Time of Need
Assisi Homes of Illinois is a world away from where Mamie first called home. Originally a citizen of Liberia, Mamie fled civil war in 1990 for the Ivory Coast and later moved to Ghana in search of safety and a better life. In 2006, Mamie and her nine-year-old son, Peyo, received asylum in the U.S. through the United Nations.
Mamie and Peyo moved to America without friends or extended family and settled in Wheaton, IL. Mamie found work as a hotel housekeeper and took coding classes at College of DuPage. When Mamie was looking for affordable housing, her friend recommended Assisi Homes of Illinois. “I heard such great things,” she recalls.
