After more than a decade of planning, research and community input, Breakthrough’s new family housing building, The Residences at 3340 W. Carroll Ave. in East Garfield Park, offers 14 affordable two- and three-bedroom units designed to provide stability, comfort and a strong sense of community for families.
Breakthrough in the East Garfield Park neighborhood works with local residents to address poverty and strengthen community stability through services including housing and homelessness support, among other core programs.
Cheron Massonburg, Breakthrough’s chief program officer of housing, health and wellness and community economic development, said the project was inspired by the organization’s recognition that many families needed a different type of housing than what it had previously been able to provide.
“Over 10 years ago, it was just a thought. It was an idea that we researched and surveyed to determine our readiness as an organization and the community’s readiness for a project like this,” Massonburg said.
Breakthrough had long provided homeless services for single men and women, but staff at its women’s center began noticing that families were also seeking support and needed services the organization was not yet able to offer.
“We realized there were families doubling up, lacking credit and unable to secure apartments of their own. We knew more needed to be done and this project became a way to address that need,” Massonburg said.
The building is designed to serve families, primarily those with young children, and includes amenities such as an indoor play space and an outdoor playground for children under five. Eligibility requires a leaseholder over the age of 25 with children, who is either employed or enrolled in a trade program expected to be completed within two years of residency.
The program aims to support families in achieving stability and eventually transitioning into homeownership or independent leasing. The development includes 14 units in total, four three-bedroom units and 10 two-bedroom units with occupancy limits of up to six people in three-bedroom units and four people in two-bedroom units.
“There is a level of compassion and dignity, where families moving in won’t even have to think about basic essentials like bedding because everything has already been prepared for them. The beds are made upon arrival and starter kits with items such as dishes are provided. These small, often overlooked details reflect needs that many people with stable housing don’t even have to consider,” Massonburg said.
She said the apartments are fully move-in ready, with furnished spaces that include essentials like beds, sofas, and televisions, so families do not have to worry about securing basic household items. The goal is to remove those immediate burdens so they can focus on their progress over the next two years and ultimately graduating from the program.
When asked how Breakthrough’s mission and core values shaped the design and operation of the building, Massonburg said the organization was very intentional about staying true to what it is as an organization.
“People first, and of course God at the very top of that,” Massonburg said, adding that the goal was to create a communal space with structure built into it.
Breakthrough’s new family housing building, The Residences at 3340 W. Carroll Ave. in East Garfield Park | Provided 
Breakthrough’s new family housing building, The Residences at 3340 W. Carroll Ave. in East Garfield Park | Provided 
Breakthrough’s new family housing building, The Residences at 3340 W. Carroll Ave. in East Garfield Park | Provided 
Breakthrough’s new family housing building, The Residences at 3340 W. Carroll Ave. in East Garfield Park | Provided
Residents will have access to a wide range of supportive services beyond housing, including financial coaching, community health, work programs, peer support, behavioral health services, and case management, along with food assistance through a nearby pantry. They will also be able to utilize additional resources such as parenting support and a preschool program located nearby.
Breakthrough currently works with several families who are already enrolled in the program or have children participating in it and the organizations hope to reach additional families so they can be connected to and benefit from the same program opportunities for their children as well.
Massonburg said one of the main challenges in bringing the project to life was ensuring the program was not limited by a “chronically homeless” designation, which would have excluded individuals and families who were doubled up or working but not leaseholders. Removing that restriction allowed the program to serve a broader range of people in need of stable housing.
“Our goal was to allow individuals the opportunity who may not be chronically homeless but are still experiencing homelessness because they do not hold a lease in their name,” Massonburg said.
She said the organization’s values of racial justice, restoration, and equity are reflected in its housing work by focusing on fair access to opportunity in neighborhoods like Garfield Park. She added that this commitment is reflected in how the project was developed, including bringing multiple voices to the table during the family interview and selection process.
“The one thing I appreciate about the organization I’ve been with for 26 years is that we generally don’t start a program without first getting information from the community. So it’s really based on what the community is saying they need, desire, or want to see,” Massonburg said. And then, as an organization, we try to put our best foot forward to ensure those things happen, especially if they are within our wheelhouse and aligned with our values and mission.”