Understanding new Providence Pointe Homes and qualifications to apply

PEORIA (25News Now) - Our first look into the new Providence Pointe Homes was trending on Facebook all day and many of you commented with some important questions about how you can live there and is it safe?

25News spoke with the Peoria Housing Authority CEO Armeca Crawford to answer your questions and describe new security measures.

The doors to the units are officially open to visitors to tour the property but what will make these homes different than the original Taft homes?

Let’s explore:

The new $50 million Providence Pointe Homes are open, using a combination of state and federal funds, but how can you qualify to become a resident?

“That will be determined by the income limit, or the income max based on that household size. The household size will then determine what your rent will be,” explains Crawford.

The formula will take into account which government program you qualify for and how many people will live in each unit.

Here’s an approximation for an example; for a one-person household, the most a person can make is around $56,000.

For two people, it’s about $63,000.

For a five-person household, it’s about $83,000.

With this information, the new property managers will calculate a monthly rent amount based on your income.

Crawford clarifies these new homes are not considered Section 8 but another form of a government assistance, project-based program.

She hopes living there will encourage financial literacy and bring a sense of pride.

“We want to give our residents an opportunity for new beginnings, an opportunity to put down new roots and build out the community they want to see,” said Crawford.

Peoria Public Housing Director of Operations Rachel Pollard said Taft Homes residents had a major say in developing plans for Providence Pointe.

“They played a part every step of the way; what was going to be here, the units, what they were going to look like. That’s very heartwarming to see the City of Peoria and the Peoria Housing Authority took into account what the residents wanted to see in their community,” said Pollard.

Currently, PHA is pushing to fill the one-bedroom units immediately.

If you are interested in submitting an application, visit the Peoria Housing Authority website by clicking here.

To deter crime and change the image of public housing, Crawford said Providence Pointe installed security cameras with license plate readers on the homes.

Out of the 142 units, about 70 people are planning to or have already moved in, leaving about 70 units unoccupied.

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