PEORIA, Ill. (25 News) – Phoenix Manor is a possible 48-apartment community for permanent supportive housing for people leaving homelessness. The project is being developed by Phoenix Community Development Services and OSF Healthcare.
The Phoenix Manor project was previously announced for a site near downtown hospitals, taking over the old Methodist College location. There’s a new site for that project now, on Krause Avenue in 61605.
At a meeting Monday night, 1st District Councilwoman Denise Jackson outlined why she doesn’t support the Phoenix Manor project in its current location.
“To suggest just to put a housing project for the homeless in that neighborhood where there’s high unemployment, severe infrastructure problems is complete insanity,” Jackson said.
Jackson wants to see the project return to its originally announced site or somewhere else. Developers say reworking the old college wasn’t feasible and demolition would add extra cost.
Jackson is calling for her constituents to attend the planning and zoning commission meeting on Thursday at 1 pm to oppose the plan.
She says she sees first district voters withdraw from politics after feeling ignored, and she believes this project is yet another example, claiming South Side residents weren’t consulted about the project going to their neighborhood.
Phoenix CEO Christine Kahl attended Jackson’s meeting. Near the end of the discussion, she thanked Jackson for holding the meeting and asked residents with questions to reach out to Phoenix. Kahl also directed people to the information on the project in the planning and zoning agenda packet.
Jackson said there is misinformation going around claiming this project is affordable housing, when it is housing for people leaving homelessness. According to Kahl, it is affordable housing specifically for people leaving homelessness, and misinformation is not coming from her organization.
“Yes, the affordable housing that our agency provides targets people experiencing homelessness,” Kahl said.
Documents in the packet say that typical families for the ten one-bedroom apartments include “A single adult,” but Kahl said on Monday night only families will be considered.
“This particular development is 100% for families that are experiencing homelessness. The tenant selection plan for this property does not include single households,” she said.
Jackson pointed to city redevelopment plans like the Choice Neighborhoods Plan from last year, which points out that infrastructure in the South Side is “deteriorating.” She says this is a reason to put the Phoenix Manor project somewhere else until the City can fix these problems.
Phoenix Community Development Services said that 24% of eligible families come from the 61605 zip code.
“Building here lets those families end their homelessness without leaving the community they already know, and keeps their children closer to familiar schools and support networks,” the agenda packet reads.
(Reporting by Taylor Fleming, 25 News)
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