Hope Village slated for 2025 completion, 2026 opening

URBANA — A new permanent supportive housing community for homeless and medically fragile individuals may not be complete until late next year.

A spokesman for Hope Village said that construction is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2025 and the project "aims to be ready for residents in early 2026." It was previously estimated that the community would open in 2024.

"Operational and construction teams continue to work toward the complex process of opening this unique community to support those struggling with chronic homelessness," the spokesman said.

Hope Village is a collaboration between Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC), Carle Health and the University of Illinois. The city of Urbana has allocated $850,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding for the endeavor.

"Just as the name suggests, this project offers hope, dignity, housing and safety to very vulnerable members of our community who, because of their serious medical needs, are not getting the care and services they need from housing options currently available," said Mayor Diane Marlin.

According to the project's website, Hope Village will be a community of tiny homes that offer housing for adults in the Champaign-Urbana community who are "most at risk of homelessness and are medically fragile." The project is being built on farmland south of Federal Drive in Urbana and north of Champaign's Carver Park neighborhood.

"Residents will have access to a variety of resources and a network of support, including dedicated case management, to address the complexities that impact an individual’s well-being and their ability to sustain a healthy life," organizers said.

The plan includes 30 single-occupancy, 475-square foot units and a 5,000 square-foot community center.

A spokesman for the project said that Carle, CCHCC and UI have all seen the impact of "unstable housing" on patients and the need for this kind of community.

"This framework is built upon evidenced-based, successful models and customized to fit the needs of our region and community members," the spokesman said.

Urbana City Council will hold a public hearing at its committee of the whole meeting at 7 p.m. tonight on a resolution to support a grant application for the project.

If the resolution is approved, the city and Hope Village Inc. will submit an application to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for $1.2 million to help fund construction.

The council will vote tonight on whether to send the matter forward to its July 8 regular meeting for approval, Marlin said.

"I'm hopeful that DCEO will recognize how important this innovative project is in filling a critical gap in services for the medically-fragile, chronically-homeless members of the community," she said. "The tiny homes are designed with the unique needs of this population in mind."

According to city officials, the DCEO has made $15 million available in Community Development Block – Coronavirus Grant (CDBG-CV) funding for projects involving homeless shelters.

"Hope Village is grateful for the City of Urbana’s continued support and consideration of additional funding through the DCEO grant," a project spokesman said. "This funding is critical to the non-profit’s ability to fulfill its mission to build a permanent supportive housing community and develop case management solutions for adults in the Champaign-Urbana area most at risk of chronic homelessness."