Chicago officials are closing in on plans to transform a budget motel along North Lincoln Avenue into a housing pilot that would provide on-site substance abuse and mental health treatment — part of the city’s long-term efforts to combat chronic homelessness by pairing temporary shelter with intensive health care.
The City Council is slated to vote Wednesday on the $2.9 million purchase of the Diplomat Motel. That’s where the city plans to test a new “stabilization” shelter model whose goal is to transition homeless people into permanent housing by giving them their own rooms, as well as a host of medical and casework services. Next, the property will require a special-use zoning permit and modest renovations, with the aim to start the program in the first half of next year.
Located along the Lincoln Avenue corridor once known as a bustling thoroughfare for travelers seeking cheap lodging, the 20,000-square-foot building would have up to 40 private units available for stays of three to six months, Chicago Department of Public Health Deputy Commissioner Matt Richards said during a housing committee presentation last week. Participants will be those who are most often cycling through jail, emergency departments or other emergency services, and there will be access to doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, case managers, social workers and more.
