The Peoria Housing Authority is looking to expand its options to redevelop land for public housing.
One possibility is to build new housing units on vacant land the PHA already owns.
The PHA is under two deadlines that affect redevelopment options. The group has until next October to commit about $3 million in federal replacement housing funds or risk losing the money. The PHA also has until the end of the year to have a funding plan to convert 80 public housing units into Section 8-based housing. To that end, Authority CEO Brenda Coates says the PHA is now considering building on vacant land at Taft and Harrison homes:
“In the absence of community and city support, we must look at alternatives.”
Coates says the PHA met stiff community resistance during public meetings to explore redeveloping Taft homes at various sites across the city. She says the PHA is also looking at acquiring various single-family homes to help deconcentrate poverty in the city.