W E D N E S D A Y
October 11, 2023 Vol. 44, No. 15
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@wednesdayjournal
JOURNAL @oakpark
of Oak Park and River Forest
Can’t stop OPRF soccer Page 27
Housing Forward will buy Write Inn to advance interim housing Cook County is providing funding By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter
Through a partnership with Cook County, Housing Forward will take over ownership of the Write Inn, which has been leasing the hotel since 2020 to provide shelter for unhoused individuals in the non-profit’s interim housing program. The purchasing agreement is still being finalized, but Housing Forward representatives confirmed the county is providing the funding to purchase the Write Inn to Housing Forward, a non-profit that works to transition individuals and families experiencing homelessness into permanent housing. Housing Forward will be the owners of the property. There is no closing date set yet. Cook County commissioners unanimously approved a motion Sept. 20 to spend $6.5 million of the county’s share of American Rescue Plan Act funds for the hotel to turn it into a permanent shelter facility.
From Morocco, with Love
Karim Benyaich, owner of Grape Leaves, brings homeland cuisine and hospitality to the table STORY BY JESSICA MACKINNON, PAGE 3
See HOUSING FORWARD on page 12 TODD BANNOR