DuPage County and DuPage Foundation have provided nearly $400,000 to DuPagePads to provide housing for residents throughout the cold, winter months.
In December, DuPagePads President and CEO April Redzic approached the County for assistance after DuPagePads’ Interim Housing Center had reached capacity, with the waiting list growing to three times its typical size. DuPagePads sought funding to provide shelter through the winter.
The DuPage County Board allocated $200,000 from the County’s affordable housing fund to assist DuPagePads. Chair Conroy asked for assistance from DuPage Foundation, which contributed $190,000 in combined support from its Emergency Fund, donors, fund holders, and network of area funding partners. The DuPagePads Board also provided $150,000 to the cause.
“The problem of housing insecurity is pervasive, impacting our communities more each day,” said County Board Chair Deborah Conroy. “I’m proud to work with DuPage Foundation to support DuPagePads and make an impact to help our residents achieve stability and self-sufficiency. I hope we can build upon this partnership to find new, long-term strategies to get ahead of the need and make a lasting impact.”
“DuPage Foundation is proud to lead with Chair Conroy and the DuPage County Board to engage our community in addressing pressing challenges,” said Mike Sitrick, president and CEO of DuPage Foundation. “With an allocation from our Emergency Fund and support from a number of our donors, fund holders, and partners from our DuPage Funders’ Collaborative, we were able to quickly rally nearly $200,000 and join the County in swiftly addressing Pads’ crisis. This is the power of collective impact at work. Through public-private partnerships between donors, businesses, foundations, local government, and not-for-profits, there is tremendous opportunity to help our community thrive today and for the long term.”
“The County Board and DuPage Foundation’s support for our work to save lives through emergency shelter is incredible. We’re so grateful for their help. People who had been on our waitlist going into this cold weather can have a safe bed when temperatures are below freezing,” said DuPagePads President and CEO April Redzic. “Our county has played a huge role in DuPagePads’ efforts to meet the growing need in our community.”
Redzic thanked the County for demonstrating its commitment to helping unhoused residents during the pandemic by dedicating $5 million in County funds to acquire the building that became the Interim Housing Center. The County has also assisted Pads with its rapid rehousing initiative for domestic violence survivors. Through their DuPage Community Transformation Partnership, DuPage County and DuPage Foundation provided nearly $400,000 funding improvements to the Interim Housing Center and for services for unhoused families.
“The County Board is truly setting the standard for how counties can step up to change lives for the better,” Redzic said.
