As groundbreakings go, the one that took place Nov. 14 at the old St. Paul Lutheran School in Aurora was extra special.
For one thing, this 20-unit development, which will provide affordable housing for those with disabilities, is called Las Rosas, named after Sister Rose Marie Lorentzen, the founder of Hesed House homeless shelter in Aurora who passed away almost a year ago.
All three executive directors of the Aurora area’s three nonprofits who came together to make Las Rosas a reality were certainly thinking of the beloved Catholic nun as those ceremonial shovels went into the ground at 550 Second Ave.
“She lived the Gospel, particularly Matthew 25:40, which says ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me,’” Hesed House Executive Director Joe Jackson told the large crowd that included U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville; state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora; Kane County Board Chair Corinne Pierog; Aurora Mayor John Laesch and some city staff; Aurora Ald. Juany Garza, 2nd Ward, and other City Council members; and congregants of Iglesia Luterana San Pablo Parish, which owned this former school next to their church.
“Rose Marie took on naysayers and opposition, the likes of which I could never imagine, in her passionate fight to bring hope and dignity to the most vulnerable,” Jackson said.
Jackson, along with Rick Guzman, executive director of The Neighbor Project, and Lore Baker, executive director of Association for Individual Development, admit their emotions were all over the place on this red letter day made possible after years of a unique collaboration.
Baker was of course “incredibly excited … elated even,” as the ceremony took place. But she also was “crossing my fingers behind my back” because she knew that $3 million of the project’s $15.4 million in funding is coming from the federal government.
“And you never know what’s happening from one minute to the next there,” she said.
Taking on a project such as this “is always a gamble,” as so much is also needed from state and local governments, Baker noted, adding that nonprofits don’t “have a lot of money sitting on the back burner, so if one thing goes wrong, you lose future opportunities.”
Still, the “inherent risk is worth it” with “the need for affordable housing so high,” she said.
Which is why, back in the spring of 2022, these three nonprofit leaders met with Foster about an idea they had formed years earlier: to join forces on a housing project because, as Guzman put it, “we believe in doing more together than the sum of our individual efforts.”
There were lots of variables that had to come together for this groundbreaking to occur, he pointed out. That included the cooperation of city departments and the patience of the San Pablo sellers who, along with their pastor, the Rev. Alex Merlo, believed in the project even when hurdles were thrown their way.
“It’s rare, even nearly impossible,” said Jackson, for so many people “to come together to work on behalf of the most vulnerable.”
Certainly he and his partners felt tremendous relief Las Rosas officially broke ground. And that, in turn, is giving them hope this kind of project, which they insist represents what is desperately needed locally and nationally, can be repeated.
Roughly half of all affordable housing developments involve for-profit entities, and Jackson believes Las Rosas is the first in the state that is a collaborative effort with multiple nonprofits providing on-site services.
Having done it once makes it easier to do again, he insisted, adding that study after study shows the most effective way to reduce homelessness is by expanding permanent supportive housing.
The project consists of the renovation of the 31,000-square-foot former school – including the basement that contains a still frequently used eight-lane bowling alley – and a new addition that will add another 10,800 square feet.
When completed it will offer 14 one-bedroom and six two-bedroom units, 59 parking spaces and a community room that features a half-court gymnasium with the original St. Paul floor logo and an elevator connecting the old to the new sections.
The goal is to have Las Rosas completed around this time next year.
“I remember the day I called Rose Marie and told her about this project and it being named after her,” Jackson told those who attended this groundbreaking, many of whom played a role in making it possible.
“Shame on me, I suppose, as I should’ve known better than to expect something along the lines of ‘I am honored, thank you so much, or how nice,’” he added.
Instead, Sister Rose Marie responded by asking “how many units and how soon can you move people in,” Jackson recalled. Then she quickly reminded him, “You know, there’s a lot of people out there who need affordable housing.”
While Rose Marie’s time on Earth ended last December, her legacy “will live on forever,” concluded Jackson, not only as the namesake of this building but “through each and every one of us here fighting to make this world a better place and achieve her vision of ending homelessness – one person, one family at a time.”
dcrosby@tribpub.com