Recently Renovated Affordable Housing Community Gets Landscape Upgraded

Dozens of trees were recently planted at the Greenwood Park Apartments as one of the final touches on a $12 million renovation project. Photo Credit: Preservation of Affordable Housing
Dozens of trees were recently planted at the Greenwood Park Apartments as one of the final touches on a $12 million renovation project. Photo Credit: Preservation of Affordable Housing

Recently Renovated Affordable Housing Community Gets Landscape Upgraded

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

Residents from the Greenwood Park Apartments, 1015 E. 47th St., in Kenwood recently participated in a day of tree planting to upgrade the landscape of their housing community. The tree planting was made possible by Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH), which acquired the 122-unit property in 2016, and the Openlands TreePlanters Grant.

Back in 2016, POAH, a national nonprofit organization that works to preserve, create, and sustain affordable housing, took ownership of the Greenwood Park Apartments in Kenwood and since then, the organization has invested over $12 million into the housing community. Renovations made by POAH include new kitchens, bathrooms, and HVAC systems along with new roofs and windows for the 15 buildings that make up the community, according to information provided by POAH.

The recent tree planting day was the final touch on the renovations and will be an important feature in making sure that Greenwood Park Apartment residents are able to live in a safe and peaceful community, according to POAH.

“Studies show that residents with nearby trees and natural landscapes reported 56% fewer crimes than buildings with low amounts of trees and vegetation,” said Bill Eager, senior vice president of POAH Chicago. “Thanks to the Openlands TreePlanters Grant, Greenwood Park Apartment’s residents will have beautiful new trees that not only improve their environment but also help make the community safer.”

Openlands was founded in 1963 to protect the natural and open spaces of northeastern Illinois and the surrounding region to ensure cleaner air and water, protect natural habitats and wildlife, and help enrich the lives of residents. Since 2013, the Openlands Forestry team has planted more than 5,000 trees across the Chicago region, according to information provided by Openlands.

“This is an affordable housing complex so there was this public mission attached to it because it’s not just any other private property, it’s a huge asset as this big affordable housing complex,” said Kathleen Day, project manager for Preservation of Affordable Housing.

On the day of the tree planting, there were several volunteers from Openlands and POAH along with residents who all learned about planting and caring for trees along with participating in the actual act of putting the tree in the ground.

“I just really loved this part of the project because usually during a renovation you’re under construction the whole time and you’re just kind of going through the phases and for residents it can be hard to live through a rehab. The tree planting was an opportunity for residents to feel like there was something that they could do and take ownership of,” said Day.

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