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Mercy Housing Lakefront

Our mission is to create stable, vibrant, and healthy communities by developing, financing, and operating affordable, program-enriched housing for families, seniors, and people with special needs who lack the economic resources to access quality, safe housing opportunities. We achieve this through our resident-centric services, strategic approach to housing development, and the support of our partners and donors.

Mercy Housing Lakefront, the Great Lakes region’s largest nonprofit provider of service-enriched housing, is committed to creating affordable homes and inspiring dreams. We work with residents to establish engaged, strong, and inclusive communities. MHL owns and operates 42 properties in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana, serving more than 7,000 people annually.

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The Problem

293,354 Shortage of affordable homes for extremely low-income households in Illinois

$12,540 Average income of Mercy Housing Lakefront households

Our Impact

5,061 Apartment homes across the region

7,000+ People live in an affordable Mercy Housing Lakefront community

The Need for Affordable Housing

A significant number of communities in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin continue to struggle with a shortage of affordable housing. In Illinois alone, there is a shortage of more than 324,000 affordable rental homes for extremely low-income households – forcing many people to become homeless or just one paycheck away from homelessness.

Rent burden and housing instability have widespread negative impacts on people’s health, education, and economic security.

Explore our Impact Report to see how we’ve responded to the needs of our region »

Help People Like Edna

On her own at 17 years old, Edna battled homelessness and addiction on the streets of Chicago. Filled with hope and a desire for a better life, she found her way to Mercy Housing Lakefront and moved into an apartment in the Schiff Residences.

Edna met Tarlisa Hunt, the Schiff Residences Property Manager, whose encouragement gave her the strength to go to school and eventually graduate from the prestigious culinary school Le Cordon Bleu. Watch Edna’s Story >

Donate to Mercy Housing Lakefront

We are proud to serve our residents and Lakefront communities through the development of affordable housing and resident services. Donate today to help us continue our mission!

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News Feed

Helen Turns 100

Family members traveled to Chicago from Michigan, Missouri, Florida, Arizona, and California to celebrate Helen and her incredible milestone — her 100th birthday! Her family members and residents at Constitution Hall enjoyed delicious sweet treats and shared heartwarming moments. We were thrilled to welcome special guests from the City of Aurora, the local fire department,

Abbreviated Biography of David Esposito

David Esposito is a dedicated professional known for his commitment to making impactful contributions in the field of supportive housing. David has spent over two decades developing more than 800 units of supportive housing and has led numerous initiatives to meet the needs to address homelessness in Illinois. During his time as the Executive Director

Abbreviated Biography of President Zaldwaynaka Scott, ESQ

Zaldwaynaka Scott was unanimously voted by the Board of Trustees’ to serve as the 12th permanent president of Chicago State University and assumed the role on July 1, 2018. Under President Scott’s leadership, CSU has a renewed focus on growing student enrollment, building the school’s reputation for scholarship and research, improving the resources available to

Partner With Us

Long-term solutions to the affordable housing crisis begin with an organizational commitment to lasting, creative, and dynamic partnerships. We are constantly building new relationships to meet the needs of our communities and capitalize on opportunities in the Great Lakes region.

We hope you’ll join us in finding new solutions and empowering even more residents to achieve their dreams.

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