The Rock Island city council has voted to move forward with a new housing development geared toward veterans and those with special needs. It will go in an area between 12th and 13th Streets and 5th and 7th Avenue.
"I think it's fantastic, we need more apartments and housing there's a lot of homeless vets out there, " Veteran Walter Mitchum said.
Mitchum is a homeless veteran himself. He said right now he is in the process of trying to find an affordable place to live until he can get on his feet, but it's tough.
"First time in my life I've been homeless, I've always been able to provide before, but with my disability just no longer able to."
He said a development like this would be a huge help. The cost of the campus style living to veterans will be based on their income and will include both new buildings as well as renovated ones, like a brick building off of 6th Avenue. There will be 12 to 16 townhouses ranging from one to two bedrooms, as well as single room housing for those with disabilities or special needs. Supportive services and on site medical care will also be available.
"I'm a diabetic and I go up and down on my sugars a lot, and my wife can't be with me 24/7, so I think it would be very helpful to have somebody on staff," Mitchum said.
City leaders said the new development is not only a way to give back to our veterans and provide them with a safe place to live, but it's also part of a greater plan to help revitalize the "Old Chicago" neighborhood in Rock Island.
"It's good for our community, add more tax roll to that area of town, encourage more development which has been a target for the city of Rock Island," said Jeff Eder, Community and Economic Development Director.
The Rock Island GROWTH corporation is working on an application to get funding for the project from the Illinois Housing Development Authority. They said if the funding does not come through, they will continue to look for other ways to get the money.
