Student housing returns to Pilsen with new neighbors

CHICAGO, IL – August 15, 2023 – Today, The Resurrection Project (TRP) and Dominican University announced their partnership in reopening La Casa student dormitory to students. Dominican University, based in River Forest, will expand its campus and programs into the city of Chicago, the heart of Chicago, Pilsen at La Casa Housing at 1805 S. Paulina and La Casa Resource Center at 1815 S. Paulina. This unique city immersion campus will offer expanded educational opportunities to the surrounding communities and address the inequities in access to higher education. 

This campus will be Dominican’s hub for a variety of distinctive programs including a residential, cohort-based associate’s degree, credit and non-credit workforce development certificate programs, adult degree completion options and select graduate programs (pending all appropriate accreditation and state approvals). Dominican purposefully designed these programs to serve students with a rigorous curriculum and community-based programs that build connections to career pathways. These expanded education opportunities are shaped by Dominican’s relationships with community partners and guided by industry needs.

Dominican is known for academic rigor and a mission to prepare students to succeed in both their lives and their career. Federally designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in 2011, Dominican is committed to advancing opportunity and has earned recognition as an engine of social mobility for its graduates. The university has solidified itself as Chicago’s premier Catholic HSI and is the highest-ranking HSI in the Midwest in U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 rankings.

La Casa Student Housing and Resource Center opened its doors in 2012 to empower and help college students succeed academically; it was the world’s first community-based college dormitory. “The opening of La Casa Student Housing provided an innovative model that went beyond a place to live”, said Raul Raymundo, CEO and co-founder of The Resurrection Project. “La Casa provides a community environment in the neighborhood where students can receive the support needed to succeed.”

In 2019, La Casa transitioned from student housing to TRP headquarters and will continue to house TRP staff until Dominican University faculty, staff and students move into La Casa in Summer 2024. 

As a social impact organization, we have proudly been serving the community since 1990 and will continue our mission: to build relationships and educate and propel individuals, immigrants, and families to achieve their social and economic aspirations, stable homes, and equitable participation in their community. Dominican shares a common mission and vision through its leadership in education. 

“For more than a century, Dominican University has expanded access to education, guiding generations of students to find their true calling,” said Dominican University President, Glena Temple. “Our university’s legacy, built by the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, inspires us to continually adapt to meet the needs of the communities we serve, ensuring all students have the same opportunity to thrive and graduate—with purpose. It is in this spirit that we are proud to announce our expansion into the city of Chicago, creating a new living-learning community that will further this mission.”Through this partnership, Dominican University’s Chicago campus students will call Pilsen their home, giving them a sense of belonging and familiarity, experiencing la cultura, accessibility, and academic support. Dominican will support the community, residents, small business owners, community organizations, local officials, and faith communities. 

This is an exciting partnership between TRP and Dominican University to return La Casa to its initial vision of student housing. The six-story dormitory for 100 students will create an opportunity for area students across Chicago to pursue their educational career. 

Dominican University shares the same mission and vision of building generational wealth through education. Please watch this announcement video with Raul Raymundo, CEO and Co-founder of The Resurrection Project, and Glena Temple, President of Dominican University. Read Dominican University’s full press release here.

TRP will remain in the community with an announcement regarding our new headquarters in the coming months.

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The Resurrection Project (TRP) builds trusting relationships to educate and propel individuals, immigrants, and families to achieve their social and economic aspirations, stable homes, and equitable participation in their community. TRP is a leading provider of affordable housing, financial education, and immigration services on Chicago’s Southwest side.

For more than three decades TRP, has worked to improve the lives of individuals and families by creating wealth, building assets, and engaging residents to be catalysts for change. Rooted in the Pilsen community, TRP’s impact now extends across the City of Chicago and through the State of Illinois; we are making steady progress towards leveraging and preserving more than $1 billion in community wealth by 2025.