Published: February 8, 2011
Mayor Richard M. Daley today joined Ald. Danny Solis (25^th), The Resurrection Project and members of the Pilsen community to celebrate the grand opening of the Casa Maravilla affordable senior housing facility and satellite senior center located at 2021 S. Morgan St.
“Chicago’s seniors are one of our most valuable assets,” Mayor Daley said. “We depend on our community of seniors to serve as role models to our families and communities and are grateful for the significant contributions they have made to the culture of our neighborhoods and fabric of our city.”
Casa Maravilla offers a comprehensive 73-unit affordable senior rental building and a Senior Satellite Center which will be operated by the Department of Family and Support Services.
The development is part of a campus environment that provides a range of housing and services, including Casa Morelos, a 45-unit mixed-income rental housing complex and the adjacent Alivio Medical Center.
Mayor Daley said that the campus will create a strong sense of community, where residents will work to support and recognize the contributions of each other.
“We are proud to work at all levels of government to support our seniors who spent a lifetime building this great city,” Mayor Daley said. “The creation of more quality affordable housing for seniors and families is one of the ways that we are building a better future for the people of Chicago.”
The City has worked closely with non-profit groups, private developers and faith-based organizations to ensure that Chicago’s seniors will be able to live independently and enjoy the quality of life they deserve after a lifetime of hard work.
Creating housing opportunities like Casa Maravilla for seniors is a part of the City’s recent five-year senior housing plan.   The City exceeded its five-year goal by committing more than $433 million to support the creation of 4,022 new units of quality, affordable senior housing by the end of 2010.
Casa Maravilla is a $20 million affordable senior rental housing development built in cooperation with the Resurrection Project.
The five-story building is a mix of 28 studio, 32 one-bedroom and 13 two-bedroom units. Sizes range from 478 to 828 square feet. Other amenities include a fitness center and on-site parking. The units are made affordable to seniors earning less than 60 percent of area median income.
Casa Maravilla incorporates various green elements into the design and construction of the development, including water permeable paving, highly efficient mechanical systems and insulation.
The City invested $4 million in loans, $800,000 in tax credits, generating $13.2 million in equity and an investment of $108,400 in donations tax credit equity.
Other financing includes funding from the Illinois Housing Development Authority, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and a private mortgage loan.
Through the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services and our community partners, we are able to provide more than 400,000 seniors annually with resources, services and programming that promote healthy and independent lifestyles.
“Casa Maravilla is another great example that shows that Chicago is a place where government, the private sector and the not-for-profit sector can work together to improve the quality of life for all our residents,” Mayor Daley said.