Currently providing homeless residents of the community a roof over their heads in hotel rooms around the area, PADS Lake County is set to create a fixed-site shelter where unhoused families will have the resources nearby to become self-supporting.
With a $2 million grant in hand from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), PADS Executive Director Allen Swilley said the organization is primed to begin renovation on a shuttered motel to make it a permanent shelter.
Swilley said when complete, a family will have the privacy of a motel room converted into a small efficiency apartment with common areas nearby for children’s enrichment and developing skills to move into their own home in a reasonable amount of time.
“The facility will ensure the safety of a residential community,” Swilley said. “With the support we’re getting from the DCEO grant, we will have the resources we need for a fixed shelter.”
PADS plans to start renovation of the former motel in Waukegan this summer as soon as it receives its building permit from the City of Waukegan to begin work creating a fixed-site shelter to house as many as 64 families.
Now in the final phase of planning and awaiting construction permits, Swilley said the DCEO grant coming from the state through the county gives PADS most of what it needs to for the $6.5 million renovation effort. It does not include the already paid cost of buying the motel.
“There may be a small shortfall, but we’ll be able to raise the funds,” Swilley said.
When done, Swilley said families will have a furnished room to themselves with a television, a microwave, and a small bathroom. Each floor will have a lounge area. There will be a shared dining area. It will house approximately 240 people.
“It will make it feel a little less cramped,” Swilley said. “Having their own bathroom is huge.”
Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart said in an email that family homelessness is increasing both nationally and in the county. She hopes the PADS shelter will start making a difference for those who need assistance.
“I know this shelter will be a godsend for parents who suddenly find themselves unable to provide a home for their children,” Hart said in the email. “Thankfully, our communities have joined hands to help build a safety net for families in need.”
Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham said in an email that the shelter meets a need for a segment of the population facing serious challenges. The city is proud of its role in providing housing for those who do not have one. It transforms “a vacant hotel into a place of hope and healing.”
“This new shelter represents more than a roof over someone’s head – it’s a commitment to dignity, safety, and stability for families in crisis,” Cunningham said in the email. “Everyone deserves the chance to rebuild their lives with support and compassion.”
More than a place to eat and sleep, Swilley said there will be an area for children to play, do homework, or find a book to read. He hopes to partner with the Waukegan Public Library to provide resources.
While the children are occupied, Swilley said adults will have a variety of resources available. PADS is partnering with the Job Center of Lake County to help people find work, the Family First Center of Lake County to help with social and emotional needs, as well as Nicasa for counseling.
“They will all help our clients get and stay on the right track,” Swilley said. “We’re going to have a therapist to hold group sessions and do diagnostics. There is a large gap in mental health services.”
Waukegan Ald. Lynn Florian, 8th Ward, said she has long volunteered to help unhoused individuals. She has advocated for a fixed-site shelter for a long time, and it is coming to the county and the city.
“It will make a big difference for them to have a room to themselves,” Florian said of the families housed there. “They will be able to live there while they work to become self-sustaining. A safe facility for families will make our whole community better.
Funded by a state program, the $2 million grant came through the county. Final approval was voted on June 10.