CHAD Provides Affordable Housing for Disabled Veterans

In response to growing needs of disabled veterans in DuPage County, CHAD (Community Housing Advocacy & Development) has announced a special Solo Rental Program to provide affordable housing for single, disabled veterans who live on a government disability income payment.  This program is available to men and women veterans and fills a large need in the DuPage Community. 

 CHAD offers rent based on a sliding scale, however many disabled veterans cannot even afford CHAD’s much reduced rents.  In response to veterans’ needs, an anonymous donor contributed $15,000 to the Program to help cover the rent for eight disabled veterans.    

 Maria Sanchez, CHAD Housing Director, explored the need for this special program with the DuPage Housing Authority and the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans. Both organizations recognize the critical need, and are excited about the prospect of veterans going from homelessness to a CHAD Solo unit. 

 Many DuPage veterans use the services of PADS and the Midwest Shelter, but cannot find an affordable rental on their very limited fixed income.  The definition of affordability is for a household to pay no more than 30% of gross income on housing.  A disabled veteran cannot afford even the lowest priced studio apartments in DuPage County. 

 For this special Solo Rental Program, CHAD has converted four two-bedroom apartments into eight Solo Rentals.  Each apartment will have two single bedroom rentals with shared kitchen and bath facilities.  Each single room will have a locked, solid core door and CHAD will furnish the common areas.

 Veterans will pay 30% of their income for rent, a minimum $300.  The donor’s funding will cover the rental balance between the veterans’ payment and the typical program rent amount of $450.