The Travelodge hotel in Waukegan has been purchased by PADS Lake County and will be converted to the county’s first permanent shelter for homeless families.
Courtesy of Lake County
A Travelodge hotel in Waukegan will be converted to the first permanent shelter in Lake County for families with children experiencing a housing crisis.
PADS Lake County closed on the $2.8 million property Tuesday. City approvals in June allowed the agency to buy and soon operate the shelter on North Lewis Avenue near Beach Road.
The agency plans to modify the 33,000 square-foot building to create a safe space for families needing housing and related assistance.
The new facility will have more than 60 rooms with 200 beds and communal areas for socializing.
A lack of affordable housing is the leading cause of homelessness in the county and has led to a dramatic rise in the number of families unable to find a place to live, according to Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart.
“This new shelter is going to be an essential and much-needed resource in our fight to combat family homelessness in our community,” she said.
The Lake County Board allocated $7.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for the project to improve long-term housing security. Another $2 million was provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
The total will cover the cost to buy and renovate the property, officials said.
County officials said the need for a permanent shelter increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Community centers and places of worship were used as temporary shelters, but stopped due to health and safety concerns.
The new site will serve as a central resource center and allow PADS Lake County to offer 24-hour operations with trained staff, according to county officials.
Allen Swilley, executive director, said family homelessness has increased 75% in the past year and this project will provide “resilient and durable” support to address the issue.
The intent is to reduce the amount of time families experience homelessness by increasing available assistance, services and support to help them move into more stable housing.
Swilley said this shelter is a part of a broader strategy to develop medium-sized shelters in communities with the highest need including Waukegan, Zion, Gurnee, North Chicago and the Round Lake area.
“Our goal is to create a network of medium-sized shelters that seamlessly integrate into their respective communities, providing tailored support where it is needed most,” he said.
The permitting process for the Waukegan project is set to begin within the next 30 to 60 days and if all goes well, the shelter would be open in time for next winter, Swilley added.
