5K To Help Tinley Park Couple Provide Housing For The ‘Unrentable’

TINLEY PARK, IL — An area couple with large objectives of helping these in want continues to take steps towards their final purpose of closing the housing hole for these in troublesome life circumstances.

Mike and Jen Fitzgerald of Tinley Park began the nonprofit Filling the Gap in 2018, aimed toward serving to those that could be in circumstances that deem it troublesome for them to qualify for rental housing. Since its inception, they’ve established one rental residence, and are at the moment elevating funds for his or her second — one they hope will give girls who want a second probability a delicate place to land.

The Filling the Gap 5K set for Sept. 24 will elevate funds to assist the group safe the extra property — to be named The Cypress Home — in a to-be-determined location within the south suburbs. The run will kick off at 8 a.m. from St. Julie Billiart, 7399 W. 159th St. Early registration is $30, day-of is $35.

“Our imaginative and prescient is to create an surroundings within the south suburbs of Chicago the place residents seeking to rebuild their lives can discover a steady place to reside,” their mission assertion reads. “We glance to convey collectively assets from the neighborhood, native authorities, stakeholders, and different non-profit companies to extend the variety of housing choices obtainable to this extensively underserved inhabitants.”

The group is geared towards giving its contributors important life expertise to offset something that has made renting troublesome if not inconceivable for them previously.

“There are folks which might be deemed unrentable,” Jen Fitzgerald mentioned. “Their credit score is admittedly dangerous, or they’ve a poor job historical past. They’re popping out of a restoration program, or jail, and nobody’s actually prepared to hire to them. So our premise is to allow them to hire an area from us as they undergo our transitional program.”

The group works with trusted companies to refer folks they really feel would match this system. Anybody excited by becoming a member of goes by way of a radical screening and interview course of, Fitzgerald mentioned, they usually work with caseworkers all through the 2 years they’re eligible to stay residing below the Fitzgeralds’ rental roofs. Their first property has thus far housed two males, with the subsequent supposed for simply girls.

“We need to ensure that we’ve got a home only for girls,” Fitzgerald mentioned, “so it’s a safer place for them to be, particularly if they’ve youngsters.”

The Fitzgeralds first got here up with the thought after a household mission journey throughout which they frolicked among the many homeless of various communities.

“It turned our hearts a bit of bit, to note these folks another way,” Fitzgerald mentioned.

After their return, Mike started helping native people who find themselves homeless to seek out housing, and noticed firsthand the struggles they’d encounter.

“We have been making an attempt to assist them discover a place to go, and each door was shut of their face,” Fitzgerald mentioned. “There weren’t quite a lot of landlords that have been going to take an opportunity on somebody like that. How is somebody going to get again on their ft with out someplace to land?

“That was after we realized the necessity.”

This system comes with “wraparound companies” that give the contributors assist all through the method, Fitzgerald mentioned, and set them up for fulfillment each throughout the time they’re with Fill the Hole, and after they go away.

“Giving somebody a spot to reside, after a tragic a part of life, quite a lot of instances there are addictions concerned, they miss an opportunity to be taught these fundamental expertise,” Fitzgerald mentioned.

As a part of the method, the tenants should pay “program charges,” which go towards the expense of working the residences, Fitzgerald mentioned. Within the two years since its recognition as a 501c3, two males have labored by way of this system, staying of their first property, The Sycamore Home, situated in Harvey. The primary property was bought fully with money donations, she mentioned, which permits them some flexibility with program charges, to accommodate variations in residents’ monetary standing.

“In the event that they make it by way of the interview, they pay 20 p.c of their earnings as their program price,” she mentioned. “They put 10 p.c in a financial savings account.”

They function below the premise that somebody wants about 30 p.c of their earnings to go towards the place they’re residing. This system charges assist set that commonplace.

“The great thing about this system charges, is it goes instantly into the price of the home,” Fitzgerald mentioned. “This system charges cowl the price. If somebody donates to us proper now, for essentially the most half, most of it goes towards the second property we’re making an attempt to acquire.”

Their eyes are on securing a property for ladies in various troublesome conditions.

“Because the pandemic, there are quite a lot of girls who’ve discovered themselves in more durable conditions, getting out of tough marriages, single mothers, who can’t afford daycare,” she mentioned.

Full-time bodily therapist Mike Fitzgerald and Jen, who has a background in schooling, hope to have the ability to construct this program right into a full-time endeavor. They work alongside a well-rounded board of administrators, together with an auditor, one other with a background in non-profit administration, and a realtor.

Jen mentioned they really feel as if they’ve made it to the best place on the proper time.

“We’re very faith-driven folks,” she mentioned, “and that’s sort of the place we felt like God was main us.”