History

H.O.M.E. began with a philosophy:

human beings need one another.

Our Story

In 1959, Michel Salmon came to Chicago to found Little Brothers of the Poor (later renamed Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly) in the United States. Through Little Brothers, Michel improved the lives of older Chicagoans alongside his wife, Lilo.

In 1982, recognizing the overwhelming need for affordable housing alternatives for the growing population of seniors with low-incomes in Chicago, Michel and Lilo founded Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly (H.O.M.E.) H.O.M.E. initially secured affordable housing for seniors displaced by high rents or substandard housing. The organization also provided moving services and household furnishings to seniors who needed them.

The Salmons’ vision of an affordable housing alternative eventually took the form of intergenerational living - a progressive idea that older adults, younger adults, and children benefit from living among people of all ages in a community setting.

With the founding of Pat Crowley House in 1983, H.O.M.E. became the first organization in Chicago to provide an intentional, intergenerational environment. Pat Crowley House operates to this day as a rehabbed three-story brick building in the Edgewater neighborhood. The residence houses a dozen older people, four younger adults, and a family with children in 17 units of intergenerational family-style living.

Timeline

1991

H.O.M.E. began offering free shopping transportation to residents of senior citizen buildings in Chicago. This continues today as the Shopping Bus program.

1994

H.O.M.E. opened the Nathalie Salmon House, a 54-unit intergenerational community. H.O.M.E. built this five-story, 53-unit residence in the Rogers Park neighborhood with 28 private apartments for older adults, 15 units in Good Life Senior Residences, six units for resident assistants, and four family apartments.

1997

H.O.M.E. increased the Shopping Bus program's capacities through the purchase of a second shopping bus.

1998

H.O.M.E. increased its ability to provide volunteer opportunities through establishing a position for a Volunteer Coordinator.

2000

H.O.M.E. increased the moving program's capacities through the purchase of a second full-size moving truck.

2001

H.O.M.E. introduced the Upkeep and Repair Program to provide electrical, plumbing, and carpentry repairs to older homeowners on low incomes in Chicago.
H.O.M.E. also partnered with the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) and the Chicago Department on Aging to relocate 9,000 older to renovated CHA buildings through the Senior Housing Rehabilitation Initiative.

2004

H.O.M.E. renovated and opened Blackhawk Manor, an 8-unit residence in the Belmont-Cragin neighborhood. A family with small children lives in one of the 2-bedroom apartments, while the remainder of the building has private apartments for 10 seniors.

2005-08

H.O.M.E. introduced the Home Again Program, which transitioned seniors from nursing homes back into the community through securing new housing and identifying services they need to live independently.
H.O.M.E. added a third Home Repair Specialist and van to the Upkeep and Repair program.

2010

H.O.M.E. partnered with the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services/Senior Services-Area Agency on Aging, with the generous support of the Chicago Community Trust, to offer BenefitsCheckUps to seniors in communities throughout Chicago

2013

H.O.M.E. became a delegate agency of the Chicago Department of Planning and Development’s Small Accessible Repairs for Seniors (SARFS) program, which provides free home repairs for qualifying senior homeowners that allow them to age safely in their homes.

2015

H.O.M.E. was honored to receive the Make It Better Foundation Philanthropy Award for Human Services.

2018

H.O.M.E. hired current Executive Director, Gail Schechter.

2020

Lilo Salmon dies at the age of 86. The residents of Nathalie Salmon House plan to commemorate her legacy with the renovation and naming of the Lilo Salmon Garden Room.
H.O.M.E. provides and delivers groceries free-of-charge to nearly 300 seniors homebound by the coronavirus pandemic.

2022

H.O.M.E. adopts a new 2022-2025 Strategic Plan that, among other things, emphasizes advocacy, neighborhood engagement, and strategies to address the growing home problem for seniors in Chicago.
H.O.M.E. launches a Community Advisory Council of older people who reside in H.O.M.E.’s housing or have been served by H.O.M.E. in their communities.