CARLTON APARTMENTS

Carlton Apartments in Chicago, Illinois won a 2024 Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award in the HUD Preservation category.

Mercy Housing Lakefront (MHL) recently completed its preservation of program-enriched affordable housing for the formerly homeless in Chicago – the Carlton Apartments. This building provides Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) to 68 residents in Chicago’s vibrant Uptown community. As a result of this developments, Carlton residents enjoy updated homes and furnishings, new and/or expanded community spaces, and first-time, modern amenities, including wi-fi internet and air conditioning throughout the building. Ultimately, this work has ensured that extremely low-income residents have continued access to affordable housing and supportive services to improve their quality of life.

Through this rehabilitation, MHL preserved 68 of the original 70 apartments at the Carlton. At the Carlton Apartments, 32 homes are provided to residents earning up to 30 percent of the Area Median Index (AMI), 26 homes for households earning up to 50 percent AMI, and 10 homes for households earning up to 60 percent AMI. All applicants must fall under homelessness/chronically homeless guidelines to be eligible for housing. Of the 68 total homes, 100 percent of the units are reserved for formerly homeless individuals and 14 of these homes are also simultaneously designated for people with disabilities. To retain as many homes as possible and to provide new spaces, MHL approved plans that kept apartments with modest sizes. The redesigned building now has eight first-floor homes and 20 homes on each of the three upper floors, the latter mirroring the pre-construction configuration. Residents were welcomed back to new homes that feature new furniture, appliances, and fixtures.

As the building is recognized in the National Register of Historic Places, MHL preserved face brick, windows, and other original features.

The development represents the efforts of Mercy Housing Lakefront, the National Equity Fund, and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) to preserve, improve, and increase affordable housing opportunities in Chicago, Illinois.