By: Ashmar Mandou
Safer Foundation, one of the nation’s largest nonprofits providing reentry assistance for over 50 years, received a $2.2 million grant from Meridian Health Plan of Illinois and the Centene Foundation for the purchase and renovation of an apartment building in Chicago’s South Austin neighborhood.
“Safer Foundation started off with a focus on employment for individuals returning to their community after being incarcerated. We realized that our clients needed more than just a job to be successful. Over the years we have developed a more holistic approach to reentry. We now provide the Safer Foods, which is our food pantry to address food insecurity. We also have our Counseling and Wellness Center for individuals with substance and mental health issues,” said Mark Yates, chief administrative officer and interim CFO. “Through our work we realized that individuals had a challenging time finding a place to stay because of their criminal record. Our focus then became providing a space where individuals could feel safe. We are now able to provide housing for people with criminal records who are denied by landlords.”
The grant supported Safer’s purchase of the building at 146-150 N. Central Avenue and renovations of its affordable units that will be available in 2026. Initial renovations at Safer Foundation’s new building have been completed, including cleaning the exterior grounds and repairing security gates for the parking area. The building will provide a variety of housing options for individuals and families seeking assistance, including 15 one-bedroom units, four two-bedroom units, and four three-bedroom units. Safer Foundation will maintain the affordable housing for the community and designate some of the 23 units for justice-involved individuals.
“Safer Foundation is a national leader in comprehensive reentry assistance, including permanent housing. They have an established track record in success in providing services in the Chicago communities,” said Cristal Gary, Meridian Plan president and CEO. “I am incredibly proud to be part of Meridian, and Meridian being part of the Centene Companies…to have this ongoing and deep commitment to addressing some of the key needs in the community we serve. We really do see that as an important part of our mission and an important part of a holistic approach to serving our members and helping to transform the communities that our members live, work, and play in. There is a clear and growing shortage of affordable, accessible housing—especially in Cook County…we are committed to investing in critical infrastructure, like housing.”
According to the City of Chicago’s annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count, 18,836 individuals were experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2024 — a sharp increase from the 6,139 counted in 2023. The 2025 PIT count identified 7,452 individuals experiencing homelessness, which represents a 21.4 percent increase over the 2023 total. The assessment also found that 35 percent of people experiencing homelessness have a history of incarceration.
“A home is a place to rest, rejuvenate, a place to of peace and to reset for the next day. We all need that. You can imagine how challenging that may be for a person returning to their community after being incarcerated with no stable housing. Moving from sofa to sofa. This grant allows us to have an even larger impact and get more individuals in their own apartments because they need a stable life to get back to and that is something we take for granted,” said Yates.
Prospective residents for Safer Foundation’s affordable housing are referred by its program navigators or can apply directly by calling (844) 442-2227 for housing support, and all applicants must undergo a formal application process. For general information, visit www.saferfoundation.org. For more information on Meridian’s community impact and its support of local organizations working to close care gaps and address health-related social needs, visit ILMeridian.com/IL-first.
Photo Credit: Safer Foundation
