New Affordable Living Complex is a Safe Haven for Senior Citizens, Economic Engine for Community

CHICAGO, Oct. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Proving that social services agencies do positively impact the economic health of the communities they serve, Habilitative Systems Inc. (HSI) will dedicate its third senior/disability housing complex, an economic engine on the West Side.

The Enola A. Dew Apartments for Senior Living
On Friday, October 28, at 10:30 a.m.
4623 W. Gladys Ave., Chicago

Named for community health educator and community organizer Enola A. Dew, the $10 million, 60-unit complex was funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the City of Chicago Department of Housing. It comes with a green roof and each one-bedroom unit is air conditioned and fully accessible.

"The apartment complex being dedicated will offer safe and affordable housing to the seniors who will make it their home," U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill) said in a statement. "This federally funded project is a testament to the positive impact government investment can have when paired with local agencies and organizations."

"This facility was built to improve the quality of life for one of the city's most vulnerable populations –  senior citizens," said HSI President and CEO Donald Dew. The building is named for his mother. "She was one of the best strategic planners I've ever seen," Dew said. "She came to Chicago from Louisiana in search of a better life. She found it, and wanted to make sure that others enjoyed the same inspiration and support she was able to provide her family."

HSI is one of the largest human services employers on the West Side, with 200-plus employees serving more than 7,000 Chicagoans at risk of institutionalization, hospitalization, incarceration and mortality.  In the last 10 years, HSI has invested $100 million in the West Side community.

HSI Board President Melvin Brooks described the Dew apartments as a social service and economic success, creating opportunities for minority construction contractors and middle-income jobs for local residents.

"One of the reasons I gravitated to this organization is because it goes beyond the public service aspect to create private-sector opportunities," said Brooks, a Chicago attorney with Cochran & Montgomery. "The fact that we have the ability not only to employ a substantial number of people in the field of social work but also created substantial opportunities in the private sector is a great achievement by a public service agency."

The construction project was led by a joint venture between Riteway and McHugh construction companies.

Mrs. Dew, who passed away several years ago, worked with Congressman Danny Davis in the 1970s to bring health and wellness programs to the West Side. "Mrs. Dew was a tireless advocate for the disenfranchised," Congressman Davis said. "She didn't believe people should suffer or be left behind due to their circumstances. Her spirit lives on in the important work being done by Habilitative Systems."

Congressman Davis and the following elected officials have confirmed attendance at Friday's ceremony: Illinois State Rep. Camille Y. Lilly; Ald. Michael Chandler (24th); Ald. Emma Mitts (37th); and Cook County Commissioner Robert Steele.

SOURCE Habilitative Systems Inc.